The Harder Struggle
by Ericfmc
Summary: Voldemort is defeated. Now the trio face a more complex challenge, changing the society that let Voldemort come to power and flourish. First though they have to recover and start rebuilding their own lives. Set during the four months immediately following the Battle of Hogwarts . HG/RW , HP/GW
1. We're Alive!

Chapter 1: We're Alive

The three friends left the headmasters office, the cheers from the portraits receding as they descended the spiral staircase. When they reached the corridor Harry leant against the wall hit by a wave of exhaustion. He slid down the wall and sat, legs tucked in, on the floor.

"Sit with me for a while," he said.

"Not sure I'll be able to get back up again mate," said Ron, but slowly both he and Hermione sat down, one on each side of Harry, their backs to the wall.

"We're alive!" breathed Harry.

It felt unreal, something not yet quite believed. The fears that they had each so long held at bay, the fear that they would not survive their task, the fear they would lose each other, burst through gripping each of them.

"You guys have done so much…if I had lost…" Harry couldn't continue.

They leaned into each other, their heads touching, gripping each other's arms, in communion with each other as the emotions released by their exhaustion and the sense there just may now be a future washed in great waves over them.

"Were alive!" breathed Ron.

**·****·**

The battered Great Hall was a sea of contrasts. There were groups rowdy with celebration, exchanging tales of the battle, others sat in weary despair. Some sat in quiet reflection, happy to have survived, happy that the darkness of Voldemort's reign was at an end. Some had made room on the floor and were trying to get some sleep. A few couples were having their own private celebrations oblivious to the crowds around them.

A makeshift medical aid station had been set up at the top of the Hall. Here, a dozen or so people and a couple of house elves were being treated or were lying on makeshift beds conjured for the purpose. The more critical injuries had already been transferred to the hospital wing or St Mungo's.

Along one side of the hall was the saddest thing of all. The bodies of the fallen had been reverently placed in line. Some bodies were surrounded by the grieving, others simply alone. A red head man knelt in silent vigil over the body of his fallen twin, both impassive and unmoving.

Three people stood in the centre of the Hall in worried discussion. "They have probably found a quiet corner somewhere in the castle and are getting some sleep. That have to be absolutely exhausted," said a deeply concerned Bill Weasley. "They left our home very early yesterday morning, before any of us had arisen. Then we hear they had broken into Gringotts, escaping on dragon back if that can be believed. As if that wasn't enough for one day, they come here and fight a pitched battle and Harry just destroys the most powerful wizard in England. It is beyond extraordinary."

"Do you have any idea what they have been up to?" asked Kingsley, who had just been appointed by the Wizangamot as the interim Minister of Magic.

"No," answered Bill. "They arrived at Shell Cottage about three weeks ago in a dreadful state. Hermione had clearly been tortured and was badly hurt."

Minerva McGonagall breathed in sharply and a look of distress passed over her face. "Not Hermione too."

"They refused to tell me what has been going on, but they had clearly escaped from Malfoy Manor," continued Bill. "I got that from Luna Lovegood who had been held captive there. They rescued her, Ollivander the wandmaker, Dean Thomas and a badly injured goblin and brought them to Shell Cottage. It wasn't long before they were meeting in private planning their next move, Hermione included, despite what she'd been through. They involved the goblin in some of their sessions. I guess that must have had something to do with the Gringotts break-in. I suspect they would have left earlier but they had to wait for Hermione to recover her strength."

"They came here to Hogwarts to find something, an item that had something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw. I don't believe they intended or expected a battle to occur," said McGonagall

A man in auror's robes came up to Kingsley and spoke in his ear.

"Our three heroes are apparently sitting on the floor outside the headmaster's office. Shall we go and put them to bed?" smiled Kingsley.

Bill, Kingsley and McGonagall headed out of the Great Hall and through the battle scarred corridors of Hogwarts castle. As they neared the headmaster's office they came to a halt at the sight in front of them. Three clearly exhausted teenagers, sitting on the floor, head to head, arm in arm, supporting each other in a silent embrace.

"Far too much was asked of them, far too much," said McGonagall.

"I agree Minerva," replied Kingsley "but they did it anyway. I am in awe not just of this lot but of what your other students have done tonight. I would not have believed such young witches and wizards could fight with that kind of skill, power, determination and courage."

"Again we have these three to thank. They formed and trained what they called Dumbledore's Army right under the nose of Dolores Umbridge when that awful woman held sway over this school. Then this year Neville Longbottom, Ron's sister Ginny and Luna Lovegood rebuilt and led the army…at great personal cost."

"Ginny? Ginny was hurt?" asked a shocked and dismayed Bill.

"Your sister is a very brave young woman, Bill, and yes she was hurt. So many of them have been hurt this dreadful year." McGonagall fought to control her emotions which threatened to overwhelm her. "I never thought I would see the day when Hogwarts would be turned into a house of horrors," she spat out angrily. She took a deep breath, pulled herself to her full height and approached the trio still arm in arm on the ground, oblivious to anyone or anything outside themselves.

"Mr Potter, Mr Weasley, Miss Granger," said McGonagall in a stern voice belied by her affectionate smile "Why is it, that whenever anything happens at this school, it's always you three close at hand?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione all quickly looked up. As they staggered to their feet, Ron, who remembered being asked this very question by McGonagall a year ago, smiled and replied as he had then "Believe me, Professor. I've been asking myself that same question for the past seven years."

"There were times," McGonagall said "when I wondered whether this school would survive you three. Now I know it could not have survived without you. I could not be prouder of you if you were my own children." A tear in her eye, she shocked the three, none more than Ron, by hugging each one in turn.

"Has it survived though?" asked Harry as McGonagall released him from her hug. "So much damage, so many deaths. I am so sorry. I did not mean to bring that here."

McGonagall held Harry firmly by the shoulders looking directly into his pained eyes. "You have nothing to be sorry for Harry. You did not bring it here. The evil was already well and truly here before you came. You have ended it Harry and now we can all begin to live in hope again. That is the gift that those who died tonight have also given us and you diminish it if you blame yourself for what has happened. Now I think you three need to get some sleep."

McGonagall's mention of those who had died brought back forcefully to both Bill and Ron that their brother Fred laid among the dead in the Great Hall and that their family would never again be intact. Ron trembled as he looked into his brothers eyes, trying to hold back tears that had risen so quickly. They moved to each other and embraced and tears formed on both their faces. Bill put everything he had into the hug, the shared pain of their loss, the love and comfort a big brother holds for his youngest and the sheer relief that the fear he had held for Ron's safety for so long could now be let go.

They stood like that in silence for some time, the others recognising and respecting the moment. Hermione herself was close to tears as her heart reached out to Ron.

Eventually Kingsley spoke. "I think we had better move. It is not necessarily safe here; there may still be some Death Eaters in the castle. I would like to get you to a secure location where you can get some rest."

"You can have your old beds in Gryffindor tower," said McGonagall.

"No!" said Ron, looking at Hermione, "we need to stay together." At this both Hermione and Harry nodded their heads.

"Very well," said McGonagall after a moment's pause. "You can use the year three boys dormitory. They have all been evacuated. It wouldn't do to evict Mr Longbottom and Mr Finnegan from their own beds after what they have done tonight."

They all started moving towards Gryffindor tower, Hermione hand in hand with Ron. After observing these two at Shell Cottage, this didn't surprise Bill at all. Nor did it seem to surprise McGonagall or Kingsley who both smiled inwardly. "About time," thought McGonagall.

"I will place a guard outside the entrance so you will not be disturbed. Sleep as long as you need. Are you hungry? Would you like something to eat?" asked Kingsley.

Realising he was indeed hungry Harry replied "I could handle a few sandwiches, and Ron is always hungry." In a bemused voice he added "Is room service part of the job description for the Minister of Magic now?"

Kingsley laughed "For you three and just for today … yes it is!"

Kingsley became more serious "Harry, I need to know what you have been doing all year. I don't need the details at this moment, but could you give me the five minute summary. I do need to know."

Harry looked at him for a moment, then at Minerva and Bill. Realising that he could trust these people completely and that secrecy was no longer an absolute imperative he said simply "horcruxes."

"Horcruxes," repeated Kingsley. "You mentioned horcruxes when you were duelling Voldemort. Did he actually succeed in making a couple? Is that what you were doing, searching for and destroying these horcruxes?"

"No and yes. He made seven."

"Seven, impossible," spluttered Kingsley "I have never even heard of anyone succeeding in making more than one before." Beside him McGonagall also looked stunned.

"Sorry, what is a horcrux?" asked a confused Bill.

"A most wicked piece of dark magic," explained McGonagall. "It is an object in which you have stored a part of your soul. While it exists you cannot truly be killed."

Kingsley and McGonagall thought they couldn't be shocked any further. They were wrong. Hermione added "Making one means splitting your soul, something that requires an act of murder. Voldemort made his first horcrux when he was sixteen, still a student here at Hogwarts."

"The final horcrux to be destroyed was Voldemort's snake Nagini. When Neville killed Nagini, Voldemort was vulnerable. He could be killed," added Harry as they continued their walk towards Gryffindor Tower.

Looking at his brother, Ron said "Sorry we had to keep you all in the dark, but if You Know Who got even a hint of what we were doing he could easily have stopped us. We could never have beaten him."

Kingsley asked "Harry, why did you come here last night?"

"After the break in at Gringotts – you've heard about that?" They all nodded. "Well after Gringotts, Voldemort finally realised what we have been doing all this time. The last horcrux, apart from Nagini, was here at Hogwarts. We had to find it and destroy it before Voldemort could get to it, otherwise it would all have been for nothing. We were lucky, Voldemort decided to check all the other places he had hidden his horcruxes before he came here, so we had a head start."

"How on earth could you possibly know all this Harry?" asked a bewildered Kingsley.

"That's a long story too," said Harry.

As they approached the portrait hole the Fat Lady hiccoughed. "Welcome to the party," she giggled and the door sprung open. The Gryffindor common room was full of current and former Gryffindors and many from other houses as well. As in the Great Hall below there were those still celebrating, those sitting quietly and others trying to grab some sleep wherever they could. As the group entered silence fell over the room. Soon clapping and cheering broke out and people moved forward to once again congratulate the hero of the day.

"Halt!" boomed Kingsley's commanding voice. "Please give these three some room – they are beyond exhausted and need rest."

The clapping continued in a desultory fashion as the Minister of Magic, the acting headmistress of Hogwarts and the eldest son of the Weasley clan escorted Harry, Ron and Hermione up to the dormitory.

Kingsley shooed then into the dorm saying "Go now, get some sleep. We can talk more about this later, but only after you've had all the rest you need. I'll have someone stationed at the door to make sure you are not disturbed. If you need anything let them know." With that he closed the door.

There was nothing more that Harry, Ron and Hermione really needed to say to one another, nothing that couldn't wait. The work of an extraordinary day done, Harry walked to the nearest bed, took off his shoes, lay down and soon sunk down into the deepest sleep he had known in a long time.

Ron moved to the bed next to Harry and sat down. He looked up at Hermione and patted the place next to him. Hermione hesitated for a few seconds then went to join him. Off came their shoes. They climbed up onto the bed and cuddled into one another. "Good night my love," whispered Ron into Hermione's ear. A big smile on both their faces, they soon joined Harry in deep slumber.

Outside the door, Bill turned to Kingsley and McGonagall. "You two go. You must have many things you need to be doing and must be nearly as exhausted as this lot. I'll stand guard here till you send someone to relieve me."

As Bill watched them go he thought about his youngest brother. He had lost some respect for Ron when he turned up at Shell Cottage before Christmas after abandoning his friends. Most of that respect was regained when Ron left to re-join them. It was fully restored and more when Ron had returned with Harry and an injured Hermione just a few weeks ago. He could see firsthand the hardships and dangers they had had to endure. The deep pain that Ron was so clearly experiencing over Hermione's suffering was heart wrenching. It didn't stop either Ron or Hermione from carrying on with their mission though. Now, after the revelations he had received tonight he had a much clearer understanding of the extraordinary burden that had been placed upon his youngest brother. Bill, like all the Weasleys, was a courageous man. He had faced many dangers both in his profession as a curse breaker and during this war. All the same he found himself wondering, not for the first time, whether he himself could ever have found the courage to be Harry Potter's best friend.


	2. Heroes

Chapter 2: Heroes

Ron awoke to see Hermione gazing into his face. She was lying on her side, facing him, looking happier and more at peace than he had seen in an awfully long time.

"Hey," she said

"Hey to you too gorgeous," replied Ron.

Hermione's smile broadened and she lent in and kissed him, to which Ron responded with enthusiasm. After a little while Ron stiffened. Hermione pulled back only to see a tear in Ron's eye and a pained expression replace the beatific smile he had so recently worn.

"Fred .." was all he could say. Hermione took him in her arms and pulled him towards her. "I am here for you Ron. Whatever you need from me, just ask."

Ron held her tightly, drawing all the comfort he could from her as he allowed himself to sob quietly. After a while he sat up and smiled down at Hermione.

"You'll stay with me today?"

"I'm not leaving you Ron."

His sadness lifted and he was filled with an enormous happiness that this extraordinary girl loved him just as he loved her, that they didn't have to pretend anymore and hopefully didn't need to hurt each other anymore. It still amazed him though. "Brilliant," he thought.

He looked over to Harry who was still lying on his bed. "You awake Harry?" he asked gently.

Harry grunted but then after few minutes he rolled over and sat up on the bed.

"Morning."

"Actually I think it's late afternoon." Ron looked at his watch. "It's about 5:30, we've slept for about nine hours."

Ron looked around the room. A table had had been set up. A large platter of sandwiches and a pitcher of pumpkin juice had been placed on it. They both had that light pink glow that indicated a fresh lock charm had been placed on them. Getting out his wand he released the lock and grabbed a sandwich. He was starved. "Room service has arrived," he mumbled through a full mouth. He poured a pumpkin juice for himself and Hermione and handed one to her. There was also an envelope addressed to Harry on the table. Ron was pretty sure it was in Ginny's handwriting. "There a note for you here too mate," he said.

He then noticed that a set of fresh clothes had been set out for each of them on one of the free beds. Ron realised that someone must have come in while they slept and placed them there. They would have noticed him and Hermione sharing a bed. He realised too that he didn't care. They had both been fully clothed and on top of the bed. Even if they weren't, he couldn't care. He and Hermione were together now and as far he was concerned the whole world could know. They had come too far, faced too much together to be embarrassed or deterred now. It was up to him and Hermione and only him and Hermione as to what happened between them now.

There was a fresh bouquet of flowers on top of the clothes clearly meant for Hermione. Ron picked them up and presented them to her with a flourish. "Someone loves you my Lady."

She smiled. "They're lovely! Where did they come from?"

"Over there, on top of the clothes that have been set out for you. There's a fresh set for each of us."

Talk of clothes made them all realise what a state they were in. They were still wearing the same clothes they had worn during the battle. Their clothes were torn and tattered, their faces were streaked with grime and their hair was peppered with dust from falling masonry. Hermione's bushy hair was almost white.

"We are a frightful sight aren't we," laughed Hermione. "Ron, how could you have kissed me when I look like this?"

"I could always kiss you Hermione."

Harry groaned.

Hermione's mood changed when she saw what looked like large blood stains on Ron's jeans. Ron and Harry both noticed where she was staring.

"It's not mine Hermione, at least I don't think so," said Ron gently. He was briefly struck with horror that it might be Fred's, but then he realised that Fred wasn't really bleeding. He had been crushed. He didn't want to think about that either.

"All right, let's get cleaned up," said Harry taking charge. "Hermione, you can take the bathroom first then Ron and I will have a go. Take as long as you want Hermione, wash it all away."

Hermione looked at him gratefully, picked up the fresh set of clothes, went into the bathroom and closed the door. The bathroom was laid out much like the bathroom in her own dorm. There was a change area and several shower stalls. It was much less frilly though and it looked bare without all the brushes and bottles and tubes of perfumes and lotions and potions that usually choked the girls' bathroom.

She stripped out of her clothes and, knowing she would never want to wear any of these items ever again, she vanished them all with a wave of her wand, all except her belt. She stepped into the shower and let the hot water flow over her, washing away the grime and the dust and her tears.

In the bedroom Harry picked up the letter and opened it. It was from Ginny.

_Hi Harry,_

_I tried to get in and see you all but these goons on the door wouldn't let me in. Strict orders from the Minister of magic himself. Hah!_

_I told them I was Ron's sister. I told them I was Hermione's best female friend. I told them I was your blood traitor girlfriend._

_They wouldn't budge._

_Gits!_

_Anyway, I can't begin to tell you how relieved I am that you are all OK. Can't wait to talk to you again._

_Love,_

_Ginny_

_Ps don't you ever, ever pretend to be dead again. That was about the worst moment of my life and I have had some pretty bad one's recently. I never, never want to experience that again. We are going to have words about this Mr Potter!_

Harry was elated, upset and angry. Elated because it was clear that Ginny still wanted to be with him, loved him even. Upset because there were more than a few hints that Ginny had had a bad time of it recently. He needed to know what had happened to her and do what he could to make it better. He was angry at himself for causing her pain and he was angry at her because she didn't understand why he did it. He knew that his feigned death had caused deep distress in a lot of people. He could still hear the cries of anguish that came from Ginny, Hermione and Ron. They had ripped through him. He could still feel the shaking arms of gentle Hagrid as he sobbed carrying Harry back to the castle. But he didn't have a choice. It was the only way he could live. It was the only way he could win. He hoped one day Ginny would forgive.

Ron watched the emotions play across his best friends face. "Everything OK mate?" he asked.

"Yeah everything's OK. I'll tell you about it later." Harry folded the letter and put it in his pocket.

"OK." Ron decided to let it rest. He grabbed another sandwich, jumped up on the bed and waited for Hermione to come out of the bathroom.

When they were all cleaned up and dressed Harry sat Ron and Hermione down on the bed they had slept on. He sat down opposite them saying "there is one thing I want to say before we go down and face the circus again. They are going to try and give me all the credit for defeating Voldemort. I am going to make sure they all understand that we did this together, that you two deserve just as much credit for taking down Voldemort as I do. You were both amazing."

"Harry, we did our bit but you do deserve the bulk of the credit. It was you who defeated Voldemort. Harry, I could never have walked into the Forest to face death as you did," said Hermione.

"Me neither mate," echoed Ron "and there is no way I could have stood up against You Know Who face to face as you did mate. It was bloody brilliant!"

"But you did stand up to him Ron. When Voldemort was prancing about taunting everyone saying 'Harry Potter is dead' it was you who stopped him in his tracks yelling 'he beat you'. That was bloody brilliant and it restored everyone's fighting spirit, including mine."

"And, Hermione, you did walk into that forest, so did you Ron. When we started this mission nine months ago you had a choice. You are definitely not stupid Hermione, nor are you Ron. You both knew our chances of surviving this year, let alone succeeding, were slim. I know you talked about this. You both still agreed to come, insisted on it. Hermione, you could have disappeared, travelled to Australia with your parents, become Hermione Wilkens. You would have been perfectly safe. And you Ron are a pure blood. Your family was never going to thrive under Voldemort's regime but you could have survived. I on the other hand had no choice; the evil bastard was coming for me no matter what."

"Harry, we couldn't have left you to do this alone," said Hermione.

"No Hermione, you couldn't. That's not who you are. Ron neither. That's my point. It's what makes you special. It's what puts me so deeply in your debt. When I walked into the forest, I was only doing what you two had already done nine months earlier." He looked earnestly at his friends willing them to understand, willing them to see themselves as he saw them.

"I could not have survived this year without either of you two, could not have solved the puzzles, could not have planned or executed the missions we undertook, could not have destroyed any horcruxes. I could not have succeeded, so please do not downplay your role in this. It doesn't matter that I delivered the final 'Expeliamus'. We did this together."

Harry had spoken with deep conviction and feeling that came not just from profound gratitude for the sacrifices his friends had made, the hardships and horrors they endured , but also from an overwhelming sense of relief that his friends had survived. He knew that he had put them in terrible jeopardy. They had come so close to death too many times. He knew that he would never have been able to forgive himself if either had died. He knew how much he owed them. He was shaking when he finished his little speech. Hermione was crying and moved quickly to hug Harry. Ron's emotions were reeling as he begun to really see for the first time what he had done, not as Harry's sidekick but as a man in his own right. He was seeing himself just a little through Harry's eyes and it was astonishing.

The unbreakable bond that had been forged between the three over so many years had just got a little deeper.

After a while Hermione released Harry and sat down again beside Ron. Harry spoke again. "There's another reason why I want you to get your full share of the credit. Partly we have been fighting to rid the world of a bunch of monsters. But we have also been fighting the obscene blood status fixation that poisons the wizarding world, the obscenity that says Hermione Jean Granger or my mother are something less than, not worthy even of a wand." Harry paused, breathing hard, trying to get the anger that had so quickly arisen under control.

"We three are a perfect symbol of how things could and should be. A pure-blood, a half-blood and a muggle born, best of friends all working together to achieve something extraordinary. And not just blokes either, Hermione. It was two blokes and a girl who did this. It is important they know that too."

"OK Harry," said Hermione visibly moved "but you know it's not going to work anyway. The people want their hero and they'll put it all down to you no matter what you say. If you give other people credit they'll just say you're being modest and heap even more praise on you."

"Well Hermione I'll just have to try."

Harry decided to lighten the mood. "Anyway, why should I be the only one getting harassed by the press. I think we should share that around too."

"Ah," smirked Hermione trying hard to share his lightened tone. She levitated a pillow with her wand and propelled it at Harry's head "you're only being selfish after all."

They sat quietly together. Eventually a smile lit Harry's face.

"By the way, you two, together, absolutely brilliant!" Then after a pause "I can't say much for your sense of timing, though, right in the middle of a battle."

"Well," said Ron, looking at Hermione before continuing, "we actually got together a little earlier. We had a long conversation why we were at Shell Cottage."

"We were going to tell you after Gringotts. We didn't want to divert your focus from the mission," added Hermione.

Ron looked down at his feet and then back at Harry. "You've known how I feel about Hermione for a long time Harry, you told me I should talk to her about it but I was always afraid, afraid of being embarrassed, afraid of finding out that Hermione didn't feel the same way, though really that was mental but well you know I still couldn't believe she really could." Ron hesitated, looking down breathing shallowly. Hermione put her hand on Ron's leg encouraging him to go on.

"Anyway, after Malfoy Manor that all seemed so pathetic, so small. My feelings for Hermione were undeniable. I had almost lost her and I had never told her how I felt. It was unbearable. I made up my mind to talk to Hermione as soon as she was better and we could get a private moment, not an easy thing at Shell Cottage I can tell you."

"I came to the same conclusion," continued Hermione "If Ron hadn't had brought it up, I was going to. But he did." She turned to him smiling and Ron gripped her hand. After a few seconds she turned back to Harry.

"It was awkward to start. We have both had lots of practice at avoiding this topic. But then it was surprisingly easy…and wonderful!" Ron and Hermione turned back to each other again beaming, lost in each other's gaze. After a while Hermione turned back to Harry and added "I won't embarrass you with the details."

"No don't," laughed Harry.

It was a testament to the growing depth and maturity of the relationship between the three friends that they could talk so comfortably about this, something they had never done in the past.

Harry grinned and said "You're both going to hear two things a lot in the next few days. One is 'heroes', because that is what you are. The other is 'about time' because you two are about the only people in all England who didn't know that, for a long time now, Hermione Granger and Ron Weasley have been in love with one another." This earned Harry two pillows flying at his head.

"So Harry, you and Ginny?" asked Ron.

"We're not going to have a problem with this are we Ron?" Harry was annoyed. After all, he was supportive of Ron's relationship with Hermione and he cared about Hermione every bit as much as Ron cared about Ginny and now Ron was going to go all protective big brother on him.

"I know you love her, mate. I saw you staring at the marauders map night after night when you thought we were asleep. I'm sure it wasn't Filch's name you were staring at."

"You saw that?"

"We both did" Hermione replied "It was a small tent."

"And of course you discussed it together?"

"Yeah," they said together.

"I reckon after last year Ginny is strong enough to look after herself and you aren't the worst person she could be with. So if that's what you both want, then no Harry we are not going to have a problem with this. Besides," he paused smiling "the hero always gets the girl and I've already got mine."

"And I've already got my man." They both gazed dreamily at one another. Hermione was swinging her legs to and fro like a little girl.

A single pillow hit them both in the head. "Oi, there's a conversation going on!"

They all cracked up laughing and for the moment were happy. Outside the room there was still enormous loss and pain to be confronted but here in the room there was just joy in the love of three friends for one another, hope for a brighter future and overwhelming gratitude that they had all three survived.

"So what did Ginny say in her note? … I recognised her handwriting mate"

"She tried to get in and see us but the guard outside wouldn't let her in. Calling herself my 'blood traitor girlfriend' wasn't enough apparently. So yeah, I guess we are going to get back together."

"Just take care of her mate."

"And you take care of my sister, Ron."

Hermione realised what Harry had just said. She flung herself at Harry. "Love you Hermione," said Harry. "Love you too Harry," replied Hermione. They both knew what they meant by that and so did Ron and it was good.

"Come on you lot," said Harry standing up knowing they could not put this off any longer "time to face the real world."

All three dreaded leaving that room.

Harry knew that he would be assaulted by the enormous cost of the victory. He would share the pain he saw on every grieving face. He would remember the sight of the lifeless bodies lined up in the Great Hall – Fred, Tonks, Lupin, young Colin Creevey and so many more. He would grieve for little Teddy Lupin now orphaned, just as he himself had been, as a baby by a terrible evil. No matter how many times people told him otherwise he would always feel responsible for what had happened. He would for ever be thinking that if he had been a little bit smarter, a little quicker a little less pigheaded he could have found a way of ending this sooner and without so many being hurt. Despite what he had said to Ron and Hermione, he knew that when people patted him on the back and called him a hero he would feel hollow and a fraud.

Ron knew that out there Fred's death would be a reality. He couldn't avoid the pain of it. He couldn't avoid the pain the rest of his family were suffering. He couldn't avoid the enormous devastation that George must be experiencing. He couldn't avoid guilt at his joy in his own survival and in Harry and Hermione's survival and in his happiness with finally being with Hermione. He didn't want to leave the room.

Hermione dreaded the pain that both the boys, no men, that she loved would be experiencing. She knew how much family meant to the Weasleys, the strength of the love that they shared for one another. To the extent that she had been allowed to share in it she had been nourished by it. It had helped her be at home in the wizarding world and she would be forever grateful. Now this wonderful family was shattered. Ron was going to need all the support she could give and she would give it to him and to the rest of the Weasleys to the full extent she could. There would be time enough for her own family. As for Harry, she knew him too well. She knew he would be taking on everyone else's pain, blaming himself for all the grief that would surround them. He would deny it though if she confronted him, not willing to hurt her, not willing to have his mind changed. It was something she had to do though; get him to a position where he could understand in his heart that he was not to blame and could allow himself to fully enjoy the new world he had given so much to bring about. It was going to take time though and she would need Ginny's help. In the mean time it was Ginny who was going to need support and she hoped Harry would be able to provide it. Harry was never better than when he was helping the people he loved.

"Let's all go and see your family, Ron," said Hermione.

Ron gripping Hermione's hand, the three walked out of the dormitory and down to the common room.


	3. Reunion

Chapter 3: Reunion

Ginny was sitting with her family. They were arrayed on some chairs and a couple of sofas in the Gryffindor common room. Ginny was beside her mother on the sofa leaning into her for support and comfort. Arthur was on Molly's other side, holding her hand and staring into space. No one was saying anything. They were all just drawing comfort from being with each other, all lost in their own thoughts, too numb to speak.

They had all grabbed some sleep in various parts of the castle and had re assembled here about an hour ago. It had been agreed that they would all stay at the castle again tonight. No one wanted to go back to Aunt Muriel's. In the morning Bill, Fleur and Charlie would return to the Burrow and make sure that no curses or other nasty surprises had been left for them and the Burrow was ready to live in again. They would re-establish the wards that protected it. No one knew if Death Eaters had visited the Burrow while it had been empty or if they had done any damage but it was considered likely. Kingsley had insisted that the Burrow would have to be properly secured before the Weasleys returned to it. There were still Death Eaters out there and the Weasleys were a prime target for a revenge attack. Arthur too wanted to make sure that their home was in its normal state before he took his wife back there. She was already deeply distressed over the death of their son. She would not be able to handle seeing the Burrow vandalised or damaged. If everything was OK the whole family, hopefully with Ron, Harry and Hermione, would return to the Burrow in the afternoon. The whole family except Fred. He would be transferred to the morgue at Ottery St Catchpole, awaiting burial later in the week.

Ginny's face was blank, but her thoughts and feelings were going at a million miles an hour. Mostly she was thinking of Harry. She felt guilty about that, but it was just too painful to think about Fred. Of course it was painful even if she didn't think about him. His death had left her with an enormous gnawing empty pit in her stomach and a sadness that wouldn't go away. It was always there. It wasn't much less painful thinking about Harry. She had only been able to see him briefly after the battle before he had been swept away by the adoring crowd. Then he had disappeared – with Ron and Hermione of course. Now they were locked away upstairs and she couldn't get in to see them.

She desperately needed to know if Harry still cared about her, wanted to be with her. She had been persecuted all year, especially by the Slytherins, for being "Harry Potter's blood traitor girlfriend" so Harry's "noble gesture" of breaking up with her had made no difference – at least within Hogwarts. The trouble was she didn't know if she actually was still Harry's girlfriend.

Not knowing where Harry, Ron and Hermione had been over the last nine months or even if they were alive had also been unbearable. Sure there had been sightings and reports and she had encouraged everyone else to believe that they were still out there fighting but at times she found it hard to believe herself and she would sink into despair. Neville and Luna helped her a lot. When she had heard that Ron, Harry and Hermione had turned up at Shell Cottage she was elated, but when she heard that Hermione had been tortured and was injured her elation crashed to the ground. What other horrors and dangers had they endured, what more would they have to go through before their stupid secret mission was over, how long could their luck hold out if they were taking such risks. She was furious when she was forbidden to visit them. It is too dangerous both for you and for them, her father told her. She would have gone to Shell Cottage anyway if she was able to apparate, but she hadn't yet mastered that skill. She had sat at Aunt Muriel's fuming. Her mother also fumed. She too had been told by Arthur in the strongest possible terms not to go to Shell Cottage. She had never seen her father forbid her mother anything ever before in her life, but there was no mistaking his firmness and determination that they not go.

Now Harry, Hermione and Ron were close by but she still couldn't see them. She had pleaded with the guards to let her in but they were adamant. Finally, they agreed to let her leave a note. She agonised about what to put in that note. She wanted to pour out her love for Harry but she also didn't want to make a fool of herself if he no longer wanted to be with her. Ginny Weasley was a proud girl. Her pride in who she was had helped her through the dark times of the last year. She also wanted Harry to know that he had hurt her, but she didn't really want to hurt him back. In the end she decided on a light tone. She wanted to make it clear to Harry that she wanted to be back with him if that is what he wanted but enable them to both walk away with dignity if he didn't. She couldn't stop herself, though, from expressing her anguish, her anger at his pretended death.

Now a movement at the top of the stairs to the boys' dormitory caught her eye. Harry, Ron and Hermione were coming down. Ron and Hermione were hand in hand. She smiled to herself and thought "about time."

Ginny wasn't the only one who had noticed the arrival of the trio. Conversations halted across the common room and multiple sets of eyeballs tracked them as they walked steadily towards the large group of redheads and one blonde that sat quietly together. There was no repeat of the applause and shouting that had greeted them earlier that day. There seemed to be common assent that this was a private moment and people seemed content to merely observe.

Ginny stood up and it was this, more than anything else, that alerted the rest of the Weasleys to the arrival of the trio and lifted them out of their private reverie.

Harry stopped ten feet away. He and Ginny simply froze, staring at one another other, afraid and unsure of what to do next, feeling the whole weight of their hopes for the future hanging on the moment. Then Harry opened his arms slightly. This was all the invitation Ginny needed. She rushed into Harry's arms and they held each other in a desperate embrace. All the emotions Ginny had held in check for so long burst out and overwhelmed her. She sobbed uncontrollably into Harry's shoulder. She sobbed for Fred, she sobbed for Tonks, she sobbed in relief that Harry, Ron and Hermione had survived, she sobbed for the nightmare that Hogwarts had become and the pain that Neville and Luna and Seamus and so many others had suffered and she sobbed because the man she loved was holding her tightly in his arms. Harry tried to pour all his strength, all his love into Ginny. He held her as tightly as he could. He whispered in her ear "It's going to be alright Ginny, I love you Ginny, it's going to be alright." Every second he stood there holding her in his arms he felt himself falling deeper and deeper in love with this girl and for the moment he too dared to believe that everything would be alright.

When Harry and Ginny had frozen and stood staring at each other, the whole room also froze. When they had embraced, the whole room remained frozen, mesmerised by the scene in front of them. Then, as people realised this was a deeply private moment the trance was broken. Many turned back to their own affairs though most continued to watch with avid interest as the reunion between the trio and the Weasleys unfolded.

Ron, followed by Hermione, left Harry and Ginny to their embrace and walked over to his mother. He was quickly pulled into a bone crushing hug.

"Ron, I was so scared," said his teary Mum. "I am just so relieved that you're OK."

"It's over now Mum, you don't have to worry anymore."

"I'll always worry Ron." She held him tightly wanting to protect him forever though she knew that she couldn't. After a long time, she finally released him and turned to Hermione.

"Hermione dear." She pulled Hermione into another bone crushing hug. Eventually Molly pulled away and looked into Hermione's eyes.

"Thank you, dear, for looking after him," she said quietly, on the brink of tears.

"We looked after each other," said Hermione firmly.

Molly nodded. She inspected Hermione up and down and didn't like what she saw.

"Hermione dear, you have gotten so thin. I am going to have to fatten you up again."

Then she added with a wicked grin "We're going to have to give Ronald something more to hug than skin and bones." Molly had also noticed Ron and Hermione hand in hand and the different posture between them.

Hermione blushed, but then she broke into a broad smile and the two women hugged each other again. Molly had long loved Hermione as a daughter. She had watched as her son's friendship with this extraordinary girl changed into something else, though the two themselves seemed to have no clue as to what had happened or what to do about it. She was glad that they now seemed to have worked things out. She knew that Ron would never find a finer girl.

Ron's father held him firmly by the shoulders looking him in the eye, fighting to control his emotions.

"Son, I don't think I have ever been prouder of anyone ever in my entire life. What you have done, what the three of you have done…. It's just extraordinary – I am just so proud of you."

Ron was trembling, close to tears. These words from his father meant so much, far more than he had thought possible. Arthur pulled his son into a strong embrace.

"Love you son."

"Love you Dad."

Arthur turned to Hermione and looked at this fragile looking girl whom he too loved as a daughter. The memory that only three weeks ago she had been tortured and badly hurt overwhelmed him and he could no longer fight the tears. He hugged her, tears streaming down his face.

"I am so sorry you were hurt Hermione, I am so glad you are safe."

Ron watched his father embrace Hermione and found himself once again choking up. He turned back to look at Ginny and Harry who were no longer embracing. They were now kissing passionately oblivious to anyone else. They must have become aware, though, that every eye in the room was now turning towards them including the eyes belonging to every male member of the Weasley clan. They broke off, both blushing and looking sheepish. "Boy" thought Ron "Harry is going to get it now," secretly pleased. But he was wrong. Initially both Arthur and Percy were stunned but then they too broke into the same broad grins already plastered on the faces of Bill, Charlie and George. They knew Harry's worth as a man and they knew Ginny's strength and independence. She had held her own in a family of older boys. If this was the way she chose to go then they were OK with that. Besides, who could blame a girl for kissing the hero of the day?

After a time Charlie called out "Hey Ginny, are you going to introduce your boyfriend to your brothers – Barry isn't it?" Both Harry and Ginny blushed more deeply, but then Ginny dragged Harry over to her family and they were both swallowed in a sea of hugs.

All around the room people were trying to suppress their laughter at Charlie's joke. It was after all meant to be a private joke between the Weasleys. Some succeeded.

For those who watched these scenes it was becoming clear that this large rambunctious family often considered to be on the fringes of wizarding society, just a little eccentric and by some a laughing stock had been right at the core of the struggle against Voldemort and his eventual overthrow. The more astute realised that Britain's magical community had just acquired a new "first family" and it would be this group and their friends and their values that would in time set the new standards in a new society.

One such observer was Oliver Grantham, Gryffindor, former Head Boy, senior partner of the old Wizarding legal firm of Bellbocks, Grantham and Popplefrock, member of the Wizengamot, pure-blood and now veteran of the Battle of Hogwarts. He would have to learn all he could about this family that so clearly dared to count both Harry Potter and Hermione Granger as members. Then, perhaps, he would make his move against them.


	4. Cover Story

**Chapter 4 – Cover Story**

After everyone had been hugged, most more than once, the Weasleys, now joined by Harry, Ron and Hermione, resumed their seats in the Gryffindor common room.

"So Harry," started Charlie, "are you going to fill us in on what you three have being doing for the last year … apart from knocking off You Know Who that is, we saw that part." Charlie grinned.

"Yeah, you all deserve that, but not now, not here. Later OK."

"Sure." Charlie knew better than to press the issue. They all started explaining to the trio the plans for the next day and the return to the Burrow. Arthur and Molly reassured both Harry and Hermione that not only were they welcome and expected at the Burrow but that they should consider it their home too for as long as they chose.

"You two are part of our family, and I want you both to understand that" said Arthur.

This was enthusiastically endorsed by all the Weasleys. Both Harry and Hermione, each in their own way, already felt part of this family but to have it so openly expressed and endorsed moved them deeply.

"Thank you," they both said quietly, both unable to express in words what they were feeling, the warmth and sense of belonging that came from acceptance into this messy family where love had always been the first rule.

Fleur felt a moment's resentment when she remembered the struggle she had had to win acceptance as part of this family. She understood though, that Harry and Hermione's place in the family had nothing to do with them being the apparent partners of Ginny and Ron. They were more like adopted children. Harry was literally an orphan and Hermione, although she still had her own parents, was in many ways an orphan in the wizarding world. Molly and Arthur were her wizarding parents. Harry and Hermione had been members of this family long before Fleur had come on the scene. Her resentment quickly faded. She nestled into Bill, glad that she too had finally won a place in the heart of this extraordinary family.

After a while Arthur whispered in Harry's ear "I wonder if I may have a word with you in private Harry?"

"Sure Mr Weasley," said Harry and they both got up to find a spot in the crowded room where they could have a private conversation.

"Harry, I wasn't aware that your relationship with my daughter had progressed quite so far."

Harry looked stricken and opened his mouth to speak. Mr Weasley stopped him.

"Harry, you don't have to say anything. You're not in trouble. I am happy for both of you, and Merlin knows we could all do with a little happiness at the moment. It's just that, at the moment, emotions are running very high; we've all been under a lot of stress. Great elation and deep grief are both appropriate emotions to be feeling at the moment and it's bound to leave us all a little confused and erratic. I just want you to promise me you won't do anything rash, I know I can trust you."

"OK Mr Weasley," said Harry still panic stricken.

"Good," said Mr Weasley, "we can have a more relaxed conversation about this when things settle down." This did nothing to calm Harry's rapidly beating heart.

They both returned to the family and sat down again, Arthur with Molly, Harry with Ginny.

Molly whispered to Arthur asking him what he had said to Harry. Arthur told her. Molly replied, "The poor boy looks like he'd prefer to face Voldemort again." They both tried to hold back their laughter.

Harry told Ginny what her father had said to him. Ginny was angry and turned to her father to glare at him. Her parents were giggling to each other and this just left Ginny confused.

"Hi everyone," said the warm voice of the Minister of Magic as he approached the Weasleys. He threw a stack of newspapers down on the table. "You may be interested in these; the 'Evening Prophet' has brought out a special war edition, reporting on the battle."

"Harry, Hermione, Ron can I have a word?" They all went up to the dormitory so that they could be truly private.

"I'd like to set up a time to continue our conversation and to go into the detail about what you have been doing and the things you have learnt. Do you think we can do that tonight?"

"OK Kingsley," replied Harry, "but I'd like to include the Weasleys in the briefing. They deserve to know what we have been doing. We'll go through the whole story with you. The fewer times we have to go through this the better."

"OK, is there anyone else you think should be there?"

"Luna Lovegood and Neville Longbotttom should both be there," piped up Hermione. "They led the resistance here at Hogwarts this last year, along with Ginny, and they have both fought Death Eaters with us in the past. Also, Neville definitely deserves to know how important his killing the Snake was."

Harry nodded his agreement. Ron, however, was beginning to look a little sick.

"Now, about the press," said Kingsley.

Harry developed a deep scowl. Kingsley raised his arm trying to forestall Harry's protests.

"I know you've had bad run-ins with them before, Harry. You are going to have to learn how to deal with them. If you thought you were famous before, Harry, it is nothing to how famous you are going to be now. That goes for all three of you. You can't stop the press writing about you. All you can do is help make the reporting a little more accurate. I encourage you to read the papers I left downstairs. They are a salutary lesson on what the press does in an information vacuum."

Harry didn't look convinced but Kingsley continued anyway. "I would like to release a press statement based on what you tell us tonight. You'll get to approve it before it goes out. Only the things you want will be included. I have also tentatively scheduled a press conference for the three of you tomorrow morning at 11:00 am tomorrow. It was_"

"No!" Harry stood up angrily "I will not _"

"It was the price I had to pay to keep the press from harassing you and the Weasleys. Believe me, Harry, if I hadn't they would have barged into this room this morning, dragged you all out of bed and demanded answers." Kingsley paused while Harry continued to glare at him.

"You three have already done more for our society than most will ever do in a lifetime," Kingsley continued, "but if I'm right about the kind of people you are, you will want to do more in the future. You will find that the press can be an ally, but you have to learn how to use it. That should start now."

No one spoke for a moment. Finally Harry spoke up, "all right, but no Rita Skeeter then."

"Harry I can't exclude Skeeter. She is the senior correspondent of our major, if less reliable, newspaper. You have to learn to deal with the Rita Skeeters of this world."

"Well we do have our own means of controlling Rita, don't we Harry," contributed Hermione. All three smirked.

Kingsley looked at Hermione in amazement. What means did an eighteen year old girl have of controlling someone like Skeeter? These kids scared him at times.

"Do I want to know about this?" asked Kingsley warily.

"Probably not," replied Ron "but if she gives you a lot of trouble you may want to let us know."

"And I'm supposed to be telling you about how to use the press," chuckled Kingsley, shaking his head. "OK, I'll leave you to it. How about 8:00 tonight? I'll get Minerva to organise a room."

When Kingsley had left, Harry turned to his friends and said "OK we need to decide what we are going to tell them and what we are going to keep to ourselves."

Ron turned green again and was feeling sick in the stomach. Both his friends saw this and quickly guessed the reason.

"OK," said Harry, "let's deal with the hard one first. What do we say about our separation before Christmas?"

"'Separation'," grunted Ron, "that's a nice way of putting it. I left you guys."

"Yeah well, I've been thinking about that. As I recall, we were both shouting at one another. We said some very nasty things to each other and then I pretty well told you to leave."

"Yes you did," agreed Hermione in a sharp voice. She hadn't completely forgiven Harry for his role in this.

Harry ignored her. "Do you know why I was saying those things, Ron?"

"Well I was being a prat."

"Yeah you were, but you were a prat who was telling me all the awful things I was thinking myself. That's what made me so angry. I was telling myself that I had let you two down, I was out of my depth, that I was a fool to think we could succeed, that I was putting my friends lives in terrible danger for no good reason and that Dumbledore was playing me for a fool and there you were saying the same things."

"Harry, it was the locket that was saying these things to you. They weren't true," said Hermione.

"There was some truth in them, Hermione and that was why it was able to make me believe them. From the moment we got the locket it started to work on us. It worked on our worst insecurities and fears. It tried to drive us apart. You must have felt it too Hermione."

"It told me I was a silly little girl playing adult. It told me that in my arrogance I had used magic that was beyond me and I had permanently damaged my parents' minds, that they would eventually wander back to England not knowing the danger and would be tortured and killed. It told me that you two didn't need a girl holding you back and that I would get you both killed as well."

"That's insane Hermione, we needed you, we wouldn't have lasted a day without you," said Ron.

"Thanks, Ron," said Hermione gently reaching out and touching Ron's hand "and I knew it was crazy, but it still made me feel that way."

"What the locket was telling you, Ron, was just as insane. It still made you believe it."

"What was the locket telling you, Ron? How does Harry know? Did you tell him?" rattled off Hermione.

"He saw it."

"Saw it?" said Hermione, raising an eyebrow.

"Later," said Ron.

"Anyway, that is why I am calling it a separation. The cursed thing worked on us, got us to argue violently and hurtfully. It succeeded in separating us. It won a round, but it lost in the end. You came back Ron, you stopped it drowning me and then you killed it. We won."

"It sounds cool when you say it like that."

"It was cool. I don't blame you for leaving Ron. I did, but I don't anymore. I know what that locket was doing to your mind, your feelings and to me as well. If I blame anyone, I blame myself for insisting we wear it. In hindsight that was an awful decision."

"What do you think, Hermione?" asked Ron, dreading her response.

"Well I can see what Harry is saying and I sort of agree with him. All the same you hurt me deeply when you left, Ron, and that hurt hasn't completely gone away. I think it is something we need to talk about privately OK?" Her eyes were pleading with him to agree.

"OK," said Ron looking at her without any great degree of enthusiasm.

Hermione was relieved. "As for tonight, if we tell people what really happened then we should explain it in the way Harry has been describing. In the end though, I think it's up to you, Ron, what we tell people. I'll go along with ever you decide."

"Same here Ron," added Harry.

Ron was grateful for his friends support but he was still uncomfortable. He sat there thinking while his friends sat waiting till he was ready to go on.

After a few minutes he started to talk. "Well Bill and Fleur already know I left and I don't think that I'd be comfortable with keeping something like this from the rest of my family. I'd feel like a fraud every time they told me they were proud of what I had done. It wouldn't be fair on Bill and Fleur either asking them to keep on lying. So yeah, I think we should tell them."

Ron paused and took a deep breath and continued "As for the rest of the people there tonight, yeah they should be told the full story too. I think I can live with that. I am sure we can trust them not to spread it around. I wouldn't want it to go any further than them though. However you explain it, most people wouldn't understand. I'd become known as 'the boy who left the boy who lived'. I don't think I could handle that. I still feel really bad about all this."

"OK," said Harry, "why don't we say to everyone else that we sent you back to Bill to get information on what was going on in the rest of the world. Hermione and I had to move unexpectedly and so we couldn't rendezvous. You finally found your way back using the deluminator. As a story it has the virtue of being almost completely true which means it much less likely that we will slip up."

"Sounds good to me," said Hermione.

"Yeah, thanks guys."

"Good we're agreed," concluded Harry.

"You know," said Ron visibly relieved, "I really can't wait to hear Luna's take on horcruxes. I'm sure she'll tell us that it's well known that wrackspurts congregate in the vicinity of horcruxes and befuddle the mind." Letting themselves relax after a difficult conversation, they began to laugh.

"Well, now for the easy stuff. What do we say about horcruxes and hallows?" asked Harry. But they couldn't continue. They all broke out in laughter again.

Eventually Hermione got serious. "You know Harry, you let the cat out of the bag about horcruxes and the Elder Wand when you were duelling Voldemort and I don't think we can put it back in again. There were over a two hundred witnesses hanging on every word you said. I don't think we should tell anyone about the other hallows though."

"I want to tell Ginny. I don't want any secrets between us, but I agree we shouldn't tell anyone else," Harry replied.

After a further ten minutes discussion they agreed on what they'd say and went back down to the common room.

When they re-joined the Weasleys, the boys were rolling with laughter, including George, which was good to see. Ginny, though, looked thunderous.

George was holding a copy of the "Evening Prophet". He called out "Hermione, you really need to tell us how you did it. I think Ginny is going to need to know."

"Did what, George?"

George slid the paper over to her, pointing to a small article in one of the centre pages.

_**All's Fair in Love and War**_

_Reports have been received that Harry Potter, together with his companions Ron Weasley and Hermione Granger spent three week in a Veela colony in Italy last November. It is believed that Mr Potter was recruiting Veelas to seduce Death Eaters and extract their secrets. It is not known how many were recruited or how successful they were in the field. We are told that it was with great difficulty that Miss Granger extracted her companions from the colony and refocused them on their still secretive mission._

"Oh this is ridiculous!" laughed Hermione. Both she and Ron cracked up along with the rest of the Weasley boys. Harry, though, was looking at Ginny and was looking worried. Fleur put her arm around Ginny reassuringly and smiled. "Ginny, zere is no such zing as a Veela colony and certainly not in Italy. In any case I zink 'Arry is immune, no? 'e only has eyes for you."

Ginny looked up at Harry. "No veelas?"

"No veelas."

"OK," said Ginny and she smiled weakly now feeling embarrassed.

George continued "Harry, where are you going to get the blood from. Are you three going to raid a muggle blood bank now? Should be a cinch after Gringotts." George couldn't suppress his smile.

"What on Earth are you talking about George?" asked Harry.

George simply pointed to another article on the same page.

_**Blood Debt**_

_A small army of vampires is now camped in Glenn Ardath, not far from Hogwarts. They were recruited by Mr Harry Potter to take part in the final battle. They didn't participate in the battle due to communication failures, according their leader Vladimir Berescu. However, Mr Berescu claims that their contract, signed by Mr Potter, specified they be paid whether they fought or not. Mr Berescu is now demanding full payment in blood. _

"Oh for Merlin's sake," said Harry, "isn't there anything but rubbish in this paper?"

"Actually," said Bill, looking Harry directly in the eye, "it's a mixture of rubbish, half-truths and some deadly accurate reporting. Trouble is, apart from the obvious nonsense, no one is going to know which is which."

Harry began to realise that perhaps Kingsley was right.

"There's a really cool picture of Neville and Luna," said Ginny as she leapt up and turned the paper to a new page. There was a picture of Neville, standing tall with a fierce expression on his scarred face. He was holding the Sword of Gryffindor in both hands with its tip resting on the ground and he had his right foot on the severed head of Nagini. Luna was on his left. Every few seconds she would turn to Neville, grab his arm and look up into his eyes, lost in admiration.

"Well there's one for the photo album," said Ron, half serious half joking.

In the corner of the Gryffindor common room Oliver Grantham continued to observe the Weasleys. He noted with wry amusement that these people had the Minister of Magic playing paper boy for them. Yes, this family was certainly in the ascendancy.

Oliver Grantham despised Death Eaters. To him they were nothing more than thugs, the worst sort of scum. Like so many tyrants before him Voldemort had surrounded himself with weak people with deeply flawed characters. These people had been easily flattered by their apparently close connection to a great man and were easily manipulated. Voldemort had given them license to indulge in the worst kind of cruelty and degradation and then gave them legitimacy. He had encouraged them to see themselves as the new elite, a sort of pure-blood aristocracy. It was an obscene jest.

Voldemort himself was a monster. There was no other word for it. He was a creature totally devoid of any human sensibility or compassion. He was brilliant of course and very powerful, but that just made him so much the worse. The foulness of his regime had polluted every aspect of British wizarding society and had even spread into the muggle world.

Grantham detested the wizard supremacy ideology promoted by the new regime just as much as he despised the Death Eaters. He didn't believe wizards should rule muggles. He didn't believe wizards were superior to muggles. To Grantham the belief that muggle ancestry made anyone any less worthy as a witch or a wizard was the mark of a feeble mind or a shrunken spirit. In the case of a creature like Umbridge it was the mark of both. He had the misfortune of having dealings with Umbridge as part of his role in the Wizengamot and had been repelled by her malevolence.

Grantham considered the treatment of the muggle-born under Voldemort's regime as nothing short of a monstrous crime. It was cruel, pointless and arbitrary. He had had advanced notice of the new laws and had promptly organised the transfer of his muggle-born staff and their families to his Paris offices where they would be out of reach of the Muggle-born Registration Commission. At significant personal risk he had helped many more muggle-born escape from England.

Grantham had also been appalled at what had happened here at Hogwarts this year. He both loved and revered Hogwarts as one of the great traditional wizarding institutions. Grantham was, if anything, a traditionalist. Animals like the Carrows were not worthy of a place in any decent institution, wizard or muggle, but at Hogwarts it was an absolute outrage. He had feared for his eldest son who was a second year Ravenclaw. He had told his son to keep his head down and stay out of trouble and, as a pure-blood, he had escaped the worse of it. It still pained him though that what should have been a wondrous part of his son's life had been so full of darkness and fear.

He had heard of the battle underway at Hogwarts when his son had been evacuated and had rushed to join the fight. He had participated in the second part of the battle though he would never claim to have played a significant part.

Grantham rejoiced in the fall of Voldemort and was grateful to those who were instrumental in bringing it about but he feared for what we would be coming next. Grantham believed in the steadying influence of the great families of the Wizarding World. Not the psychopaths, the malcontents and blood chauvinists that flocked to the Dark Lord, but those steeped in the great traditions and values of wizarding society. It wasn't a matter of blood. Some fresh blood was good, even necessary. No, it was a matter of upbringing and time tested values passed from father to son.

The ascendancy of the Weasleys, of Potter and his allies and friends was a direct threat to the old ways and the hard won wisdom that safeguarded wizarding society. He admired their achievements, their courage, their sacrifices but he would act to undermine them, to weaken their influence and to thwart the radical reforms he was confident they would pursue. It wasn't personal, it was political.


	5. Debrief

Chapter 5: Debrief

Harry, Hermione and Ron sat in a row on an overstuffed sofa looking apprehensive. They were in a room with high polished oak panels. The floor was covered by a sumptuous oriental carpet with mostly reddish hues. The whole effect was a comforting warmth and a certain elegance, marred somewhat by the motley array of sofas and lounge chairs arrayed in a rough circle around the room. All the Weasleys were there, well except for Fred. Kingsley Shacklebolt and Minerva McGonagall were there as were Neville and Luna.

Everyone had been quietly amused when Neville arrived, Luna by his side, still clutching the Sword of Gryffindor. Harry wondered how long it would be before McGonagall's sense of duty overcame her softness for Neville and she relieved him of his trophy and restored the sword to its proper place in the headmaster's office.

There was one other person in the room, sitting a little outside the circle, holding parchment and quill in readiness. Earlier Kingsley had taken Harry aside and introduced her.

"Harry, I would like you to meet Melanie Watts. I have just appointed her my personal private secretary."

Harry and Melanie exchanged greetings. Melanie had a pleasant and forthright demeanour and didn't appear in the least star struck meeting Harry, which pleased him. She was a handsome looking woman somewhere in her mid-thirties with short light brown hair.

"I would not have appointed Melanie," continued Kingsley in a firm steady voice, "unless I had complete trust in her, trust she has earned working together with me over the last twelve years." Melanie looked pleased at this remark. "Harry, I have asked her to take notes tonight and to help prepare tomorrow's press release. This will be an enormous help to me, but if you prefer I will ask her to leave."

Harry had looked carefully at both Kingsley and Melanie. "There will be things said tonight that must never leave this room. If you are OK with that then I don't have a problem". Both nodded.

Harry scanned the room. Ginny was the only one not in a chair or a sofa. She was sitting on the floor in front of her mother looking a little nervous. Harry had warned her earlier that she was going to hear a few things that would upset her and that, no, it had nothing to do with Veelas. He had apologised in advance.

Molly was sitting on one of the sofas, Arthur on one side, George on the other. George was looking somewhat vacant. The jocular mood that the evening newspapers had generated in him had quickly faded and he had once more withdrawn back into himself. At least he had made the effort to come tonight and be with his family. Neville was looking excited and Luna was looking like, well Luna. She was smiling happily, totally in the moment and with no expectation that the world should be any other way than how it was.

Harry looked at Hermione and Ron for reassurance and then started.

"Thanks for all coming tonight. You are all here because you have the right to know what we three have been doing these past nine months. This isn't going to be an easy night. We are going to find it tough telling this story and I think a number of you are going to find it hard to hear. Please keep in mind as we go through the story what you see in front of you. We three are all alive and Voldemort is dead. There were times, though, in the last nine months when that didn't seem likely at all."

There was a sharp intake of breath from Molly Weasley. Her hand flew to her face now covered with fear and anguish. Arthur took her hands in his and looked into her eyes with worried concern.

"Are you sure you're ready for this, Molly? Maybe it's too soon."

"No Arthur," Molly struggled to regain her composure, "I need to hear this."

"Are you sure Mrs Weasley?" asked Harry gently. It was mainly Molly he had had in mind when he had said what he said, her and Ginny. He knew Ginny was going to react very badly to some of what they were going to say and he dreaded that.

"Yes Harry, I'll be OK. Please go on."

"OK," started Harry, "the first thing I want to say is that this was a team effort. Ron and Hermione are just as much responsible for bringing down Voldemort as I am. I could not have done this without them. I could not have done this with anyone else but them."

This last part caught Ron and Hermione by surprise and both quickly turned to look at Harry.

"I want that clearly known. I want that clearly understood and not just by those in this room but everywhere," said Harry with great firmness and passion.

Ron and Hermione were looking a little embarrassed at Harry's fervour. Others around the room nodded in assent though they were not sure they really believed him. Not yet.

Harry regathered himself and started again. He smiled "A lot of you have probably been wondering why Professor Dumbledore entrusted a critical and dangerous mission to a bunch of kids. A number of you didn't hold back telling me that I had misunderstood what Dumbledore had said. I hadn't. Dumbledore entrusted this task to me, Ron and Hermione because he didn't have a choice."

Harry looked around the room. Everyone was fixed on him, waiting for him to explain what he had just said.

"It had to be me," continued Harry, "I was marked for this mission when I was just a one year old. It was Voldemort himself who selected me. He created a connection between us the day he killed my mother and tried to kill me, a connection mirrored by this scar." Harry pointed to his famous lightning scar. "The connection was increased when a wand sharing the same phoenix feather core as Voldemort's chose an eleven year old Harry Potter as its master. It increased again when he took my blood to regenerate his body in the graveyard at Little Hangleton."

"It was through this connection that I was able to speak Parseltongue. Through this connection that, at times when Voldemort was extremely angry or elated, I was able to see through his eyes, feel his feelings, and catch glimpses of his thoughts. Sometimes it was through the eyes of his snake Nagini. That's how it was when Nagini attacked you, Mr Weasley, outside the Department of Mysteries. That was awful. It felt like I was attacking you myself." Harry paused trying to put the image out of his mind.

"I have seen some vile things through Voldemort's eyes. I have seen him murder children without a second's hesitation simply because they were in his path. I have seen him torture people to the point of insanity. It was vile this connection. It made me feel polluted. It also gave me blinding headaches when it operated but it was an indispensable tool in our mission as will become clear."

Harry stopped. He was finding this harder than he thought. He looked around the room. Most were looking a little shocked. Everyone here had had some knowledge of the connection between Harry and Voldemort, but only Ron and Hermione understood its extent and the affect it had on Harry, the toll it took on him. Ginny was looking ashen faced, her eyes wide with horror. She leant into her Mother's leg and hugged it tightly. Molly put a reassuring hand on Ginny's shoulder though she too was reeling at Harry's revelation. Harry tried to smile reassuringly at Ginny, but she didn't respond. Hermione put her hand on Harry's leg, encouraging him to go on.

Harry continued "For these reasons and for some others that will become clear as we go along it had to be me who undertook this mission. The fact that Voldemort was determined to kill me no matter what meant that I really had no choice but to take it on. It was the only way I was going to have even an outside chance of surviving."

"If it had to be me, it had to be Ron and Hermione," said Harry flatly. "There was no way I could have done this on my own. I needed help and I needed people I could trust absolutely, with whom I could openly share everything and whose abilities complimented mine." He was looking at Ron and Hermione when he said this. He turned to the rest of the room.

"There has been an unbreakable bond between we three ever since we faced a mountain troll together when we were eleven. We have been fighting Voldemort together for almost as long, from when we stopped him stealing the Philosopher's Stone still in our first year at Hogwarts. We have grown up together. We trust each other, we understand each other and we know how to work and fight together. Dumbledore knew this. He knew that despite our ages, we were the only ones that could take on this mission and succeed. He also understood the importance of the bond between us.

"Voldemort attacked that bond and for a time it looked like it was broken. That was a terrible time. But it wasn't broken and together we went on to win." Harry looked up to a sea of blank faces and realised no one had a clue what he was talking about.

"Sorry," he apologised waving an arm, "I'm rambling. Hopefully this will all become clearer when we tell what we were actually doing. Before we do, though, there is one more thing I want to say."

Harry turned to Ron and Hermione looking them both in the eye one after the other. "This mission needed Ron and Hermione, but unlike me, they didn't need it. They would have been far safer if they had stayed at home or escaped the country." Harry turned to back to the rest of the room. "They didn't though. They knew exactly what they were getting themselves into. They knew in all likelihood one or all three of us would end up dead. They insisted on coming anyway. I owe my life to them, many times over. Everyone else owes them their freedom."

Harry choked up and couldn't continue. He was consumed by the depth of his gratitude, respect and love for his two friends. Hermione broke into tears and moved to hug Harry. Ron joined in in a three way hug. They stayed like that for a couple of minutes.

Everyone else in the room was deeply moved. Molly and Fleur were openly weeping. Even Melanie had a tear in her eye. Bill, Minerva and Kingsley were all reminded of the scene they had witnessed, was it only this morning, outside the headmaster's office.

When the trio separated and sat back in their seats Harry started up again. "Well I suppose we had better tell you what the mission was and what we did. Hermione, would you like to explain about horcruxes and the aim of the mission?"

Harry leant back into the sofa. He was already feeling emotionally drained and they had hardly begun.

Hermione went into classroom mode, happy for the relief of a technical discussion. "How many here know what a horcrux is?" asked Hermione.

Ron couldn't help himself. He moved to the edge of the sofa and shot his hand up in the air, straining with excitement. Both Harry and McGonagall who had both seen Hermione behave just like this so many times over the years tried hard not to laugh. Hermione glared at Ron but she couldn't hold it and soon broke into a smile. "Yes Ronald, I know you know the answer." Ron gave her a quick peck on the cheek and sat back in the sofa.

"The 'Prophet' wrote about horcruxes today," supplied Luna. "They said they were dark and dangerous objects. That's all it said. A fairly pointless description don't you think? There are many dark and dangerous objects."

"Well," continued Hermione, "they are very dark and very dangerous." She then went on to explain the nature of a horcrux, the foul deed required to make one and how Voldemort had used them in an attempt secure immortality. She concluded saying, "he made seven."

It was clear that apart from Kingsley, McGonagall and, after this morning, Bill, no one else had known anything about horcruxes.

"So that was the mission, to find and destroy these seven horcruxes?" asked Arthur.

"Yes," replied Hermione, "Voldemort was invulnerable till they were all destroyed. Fortunately, two had already been destroyed before we started. Also we didn't know about the seventh one till later, yesterday in fact." her voice trailed away, pain fleetingly appearing on her face.

"You said two had already been destroyed before you started. How? By whom?" asked Bill.

Harry felt a stab of fear. He had dreaded telling Ginny what was now to be disclosed. Hermione saw his discomfort and looking at Ginny she spoke gently "Ginny, I'm sorry. What I'm about to say is going to upset you. Harry destroyed the first Horcrux five years ago in the Chamber of Secrets."

Ginny jumped up, horror stricken. "The diary? The diary was a horcrux? I was possessed by an actual piece of Voldemort's soul? I'm going to be sick." With that Ginny rushed out of the room. Molly, who was looking a little sick herself, followed Ginny out of the room saying "I'll check she's OK."

Both Kingsley and Fleur looked bewildered. They clearly knew very little about the incident. Most of Ginny and Ron's brothers also had only had a sketchy understanding. McGonagall filled them in as best she could. Kingsley was stunned. He looked over at the trio with disbelief. They did that as twelve year olds!?

Harry started again. He told how Riddle's diary had first made Dumbledore suspect that Voldemort's had made a least one horcrux. He described Dumbledore's research, what he had shown Harry in the pensieve and how Professor Slughorn's memory had provided the final key. He told of Dumbledore's retrieval of Gaunt's ring and its curse. One more horcrux down, but at a terrible price.

About half way through, Ginny and Molly had returned, both giving Harry a weak smile. Ginny sat down between her mother and her father leaving George a little squashed at the end of the sofa. Arthur magically extended it.

Harry next recounted the events of the dreadful day Dumbledore died, how they had retrieved the locket and his despair that it turned out to be a fake left by the mysterious RAB.

Now Ron took over. He described what had happened as soon as they had left Bill and Fleur's wedding, about being attacked by Dolohov and Rowle and how Hermione had wiped their memories. Kingsley was wondering why he was no longer surprised that three unsuspecting teenagers, ambushed by two powerful and experienced Death Eaters, had still won the encounter or that Hermione could perform such complex and advanced memory charms.

Ron described how they had discovered that Umbridge had the real locket and how they developed their plan to penetrate the Ministry and take it from her. Ron, Hermione and Harry each described bits of the actual mission itself, trying to sound light-hearted, even though they were all terrified at the time. Ron even jokingly thanked his father for advice on indoor weather charms. No one was fooled. Everyone knew what would have happened to 'Undesirable No 1' and his companions if they had been caught in the heart of Voldemort's Ministry of Magic. They understood the enormous risk the three had taken.

At one stage Arthur was hit with sudden realisation. "It was you. It was you, Harry, that told me I was under surveillance. I had never been able to understand why Runcorn let that slip."

"Yes, I'd seen your file in Umbridge's office," replied Harry. "And I never want to see you look at me with such loathing ever again."

"Don't worry, Harry, you won't," chuckled Arthur. "Thanks."

Harry's tone changed when he described the scene in Umbridge's court. The use of dementors to drain all hope and joy from the accused, the total absence of any fair process and the grossly unjust laws themselves had horrified and revolted Harry and Hermione. They quickly described how they took the locket from Umbridge. They spent far more time demanding of Kingsley that Umbridge be arrested and tried for her crimes.

Hermione cried as she described how their escape had gone disastrously wrong and Ron had been splinched.

Arthur spoke gently, "Hermione, you got everyone to a safe place and you succeeded in getting the locket. That is more than enough to be thankful for."

McGonagall stood up. "I believe this would be an appropriate time for a break. We have been going for well over an hour." She transfigured a cushion into a table. She waved her wand and pitchers of pumpkin juice and platters of cakes and tarts and cups and plates floated into the room and neatly organised themselves on the table.

No one spoke much during the break. Most were trying to process what had been said. Neville came over to Harry, Ron and Hermione.

"Thanks for letting me in on this tonight," he started. "Look, I know it's a lot to ask, but do you think you be able to go over some of this stuff with the DA. They'd really love to hear it from you directly and I sort of think they've earned it."

"Sure," replied Harry after a few moments hesitation, "but there are things we'll be saying tonight we don't want going beyond the group in this room. That OK?"

"Sure Harry."

"The other thing is we want to hear from the DA what you've all been up to, what you've gone through. We haven't really had a chance to catch up yet."

"Fair enough," replied Neville.

"Look," said Harry, "we're supposed to be having a press conference at 11:00 tomorrow. Why don't we bump that back to 1:00 then we can meet the DA at 11:00. I'd like to hear your stories before the press conference any way."

"Sounds good. I'll try and get the DA together. Thanks Harry."

"You know Nev," said Ron, "you can't keep that sword."

Neville looked down at the sword, then back at Ron. "I don't know, Ron, I've been thinking it'd be kind a cool for weeding." With that he turned away and approached McGonagall.

"Do you know what we've just witnessed?" asked Hermione. "A general looking after the interests of his troops. I am really proud of our Neville."

Harry left Ron and Hermione and approached Ginny. She was standing next to George both lost in their own thoughts.

"You OK Ginny?"

She nodded. "It was more the shock. So, is that what you were afraid to tell me?"

"Yes, but there's more to come, worse I think."

"OK," she said trying to stay strong. Harry took her in his arms and they hugged each other.

George smirked. "Just because you're the hero, Potter, it doesn't mean you can squeeze my sister whenever you feel like it."

Ginny looked up at George and smiled.

"Yes it does, George." She kissed Harry on the lips and then said "Let's get this over with." She released Harry, turned and went to sit back down on the sofa.

When everyone had resumed their seats Harry started again. "The next period was in some ways the worst of the whole nine months. We were living in a tent, constantly on the move for fear of being caught. We had to take turns keeping a watch at night. We could never let our guard down."

"We were often cold, tired and always hungry," continued Ron, "although Hermione did get very good at cooking wild mushrooms."

"That's not what you said at the time, Ronald!" huffed Hermione, crossing her arms.

"The worst thing was that we were making no progress at all locating the other horcruxes," Harry continued, ignoring Hermione. "Every lead we followed turned up blank."

"And then, there was the locket," shuddered Ron.

"Then there was the locket," agreed the other two.

"No matter what we tried we couldn't destroy it. No magic we possessed, no physical force we could muster made the slightest scratch on it," said Harry.

"And then it went to work on us," said Ron ominously.

"I insisted," went on Harry, "that we took turns wearing it. After everything we had been through to get it, I didn't want to lose it."

"It was a little like carrying around your own personal dementor," shivered Hermione, "it drained everything positive and magnified the negative. We got to dread wearing it."

"It tried to drive us apart. It fed on every insecurity, every self-doubt and every resentment we had with each other," said Harry.

"I think I was the worst affected," said Ron. "In the end it had me believing all sorts of dreadful things; things about myself, things about Harry, things about Hermione. Deep down I knew they weren't true but they felt true anyway."

Harry took up the story, "It all came to a head a few weeks before Christmas. Ironically, we had just discovered that we could destroy a horcrux with the Sword of Gryffindor. Ron and I had an almighty row. We hurled at each other all the hateful things the locket had been feeding us. We were furious with each other. All the frustrations of the last few months added fuel to the fire. Something almost broke between us. I told Ron to run back to Mummy, to leave."

"And I left," said Ron flatly. "I heard Hermione calling out for me, _pleading_ with me to stay, but I left. I had promised Hermione that I would stay no matter what, but I left."

Ron was visibly shaking. He turned to Hermione. "I'm so sorry Hermione." His face was contorted with anguish and he was on the point of tears. Hermione pulled him into her arms, rocking him back and forth, speaking quietly only to him, "It's OK Ron. I forgive you. I love you Ron. It's OK."

Eventually Ron pulled himself together and continued, "as soon as I left, I ran into a bunch of Snatchers. I was able to get away from them but I had to disapparate again. After that there was no way I could find my way back to Harry and Hermione. I wanted to go back straight away, but I couldn't. Hermione's concealment charms were just too good." He smiled at Hermione.

"Where did you go, Ron?" asked Charlie.

Seeing Bill and Ron both hesitant, Fleur jumped in, "'e came to stay with us at Shell Cottage."

Molly looked from her daughter in law to her eldest son. "Why didn't you say something Bill?"

"Don't blame Bill, Mum," pleaded Ron, "I begged him not to tell anyone else. I was so ashamed. I had just abandoned my two best friends when they were facing the greatest peril of their life, carrying their heaviest burden. It was the worst thing I have ever done in my life."

Bill looked at Ron with compassion. "I am so sorry, Ron, for giving you such a hard time. I didn't understand."

"S'OK Bill, you weren't saying anything I wasn't saying to myself."

Harry's voice cut across the room. "This is one of the things that never leaves this room. As far as the rest of the world is concerned, we sent Ron to Bill and Fleur's because we needed information on what was happening in the outside world. Does anyone have a problem with that?" No one did.

"The least true thing about Ron is that he abandons his friends and I won't have it said. I won't. People who don't hear the full story simply won't understand. They certainly won't understand the power of that bloody locket."

Ron was looking down, beginning to be embarrassed by the attention and by the ferocity of Harry's defence. Ginny got up and walked across the room to her brother. She pulled Ron to his feet and gave him a big hug. "I understand Ron" she said "I understand completely what a horcrux can do. Don't forget that dear brother".

A tear came to Ron's eye at this unexpected source of support. He realised that Ginny did indeed really understand and it gave him indescribable relief. Ginny released Ron but she didn't return to her seat. Rather she sat down on the floor, next to Harry.

"Neat move," thought Fleur.

Harry recommenced. "The next few weeks were the worst. We still had the locket and no Ron. We could barely manage to do anything, we hardly spoke a word to each other. Eventually we realised we had to get on with it. We decided to go to Godric's Hollow."

Hermione described their visit, the encounter with Nagini, their narrow escape and Harry's injuries. When she had finished everyone else realised they had been holding their breath. They didn't know whether to feel horror at the nature of the encounter, amazement at the quick responses of the two, dread that once again they had been so close to death or sadness that again one of them had been seriously injured.

Harry then described the night the silver doe appeared, how he had decided to follow it and how the doe had led him to a frozen lake where he could see the Sword of Gryffindor resting on the lake floor.

"I dived in to retrieve the sword, but then the locket chain tightened about my neck and began to choke me. It pulled me further under. I was going to drown. Then I felt arms tighten around me and lift me out of the water."

"Nice one Hermione, I didn't realise you were that strong," quipped Charlie.

"It wasn't me," said Hermione "I was still nice and snug in the tent. I didn't even know Harry was gone."

"It was Ron," said Harry.

"I still think you were bloody mental, mate, diving into a frozen lake, at night, with no one else around and with a horcrux around your neck," said Ron.

"Well maybe not my best decision, but you were brilliant mate," replied Harry. "Ron pulled me out of the water, ripped the horcrux from my neck and then retrieved the sword."

"How did you find your way back, Ron?" asked Percy, "I thought you said it wasn't possible."

Ron explained how he had finally understood how he could use the deluminator to return.

"And did you use the sword to destroy the locket then Harry?" asked Bill.

"No, Ron did," replied Harry. "The Sword of Gryffindor is best wielded by a Gryffindor who has earned it by a selfless act of valour. That night it was Ron. Last night it was Neville."

"Merlin, I bet you enjoyed destroying that effing thing, Ron," chuckled Charlie.

"Not Exactly," replied Ron turning white.

After a while Ron continued. "It knew I was about to destroy it and it attacked me. This was far, far worse than wearing the thing. It projected a vivid image of my deepest fears. And it wasn't spiders, it was deeply personal. It mocked me to the core. It tried to make me angry with Harry, attack him instead but, in the distance, as if very far away, I could hear Harry calling out 'It lies, kill it, it lies'."

Ron paused, took a deep breath and concluded, "I held on to what Harry was saying. I trusted him despite what I was feeling. I turned my anger against the locket and stabbed it for all I was worth. In the end the bond between Harry and me was far stronger than Voldemort's deceptions."

"Three Horcruxes down," said Harry.

Hermione was watching Ron closely as he said all this, turning paler and paler. She was feeling a little guilty about how she had treated Ron after he returned to the tent but she could live with that. More important, she had to get to grips with the fears that Ron referred to. They really needed to talk about this.

Hermione's reverie was disturbed as she heard George ask, "so all was sweetness and light for Gryffindor's fabulous three after Ron's return, was it?"

"Well, Hermione may have had a few choice words as I recall," replied Harry.

"'You – complete – _arse_ – Ronald – Weasley' wasn't it Harry? With a punch between each word. She can hit too. Just ask Draco Malfoy."

Her boys were teasing her, but she was OK with that. "Well you deserved it!" she pouted.

"Yes I did." Ron kissed her and all three broke into smiles.

Hermione returned to the story "It was about that time that we became interested in a particular symbol. It was cropping up in various places in our research, including the book bequeathed me by Dumbledore. Harry recalled that Luna's father was wearing the symbol at Bill and Fleur's wedding. We decided to visit him and ask about him about it. This was how we found out about the Elder Wand, a very powerful wand with a very bloody history."

Harry expanded. "I knew that Voldemort was desperately seeking something, something to do with wands. I had seen him torture and interrogate Ollivander. Interrogate and murder Gregorovitch, the European wand maker. Eventually it became clear. He was seeking the Elder Wand."

Hermione took over from Harry "Dumbledore never made things easy for us. He believed that with knowledge, just as with magic, if you didn't earn it, it wasn't truly yours. Dumbledore could easily have told us all about the Elder Wand. However, he knew that Voldemort would seek it and he also knew that Harry would need to really understand about the wand before he finally faced Voldemort. So he set up a little quest for us so that we could earn that knowledge. All very nice in theory, but it almost got us killed, which seems a little extreme," Hermione huffed.

"What do you mean Hermione 'it almost got us killed'?" asked Molly. She was beginning to be weighed down with the understanding of just how often these three children had been in the utmost peril.

Hermione mumbled something remembering they had agreed not to reveal Luna's Dad's treachery. Before she could do some more tap dancing, Luna piped up.

"Daddy told me what he did. He is very ashamed. I am very, very angry with him. I am not sure I can forgive him." There was a tear in the corner of Luna's eye, something that Hermione had never seen before.

"We have," Hermione said gently. "He only did what he did out of love for you, Luna, because you were being held hostage. You were only being held hostage because he had supported Harry in the first place."

"It is very kind of you to say that, Hermione. I'm not sure it's enough though."

"Could you please explain what you are talking about," asked Kingsley.

Harry replied firmly, "this was something we were not going to reveal even to this group. We certainly don't want it going any further. When we visited Mr Lovegood he informed the Death Eaters we were there. We only just escaped by the skin of our teeth. In the battle that ensued, Luna's home was destroyed."

Harry addressed Luna, "Luna, if your father wants to say anything, that's up to him. Be assured though that we never will."

"Harry, that is very generous," conceded Kingsley "but you must understand this will all come out eventually. It will be revealed as we debrief captured Death Eaters. It will be better for Xenophilius if he makes a public statement before then. All the same, the only thing that will save his reputation is a very public act of forgiveness by you three."

"Then that is what we will do."

"Thank you, Harry." Luna was shaking. Neville put his arm around her shoulder and gave her a reassuring squeeze.

Harry could see Ron and Hermione get tense. They knew what was coming up. He decided the only thing for it was to dive right in.

"Some weeks later we were captured – by Snatchers – and taken to Malfoy Manor." He paused and swallowed. "It was all my fault. I had used the embargoed word 'Voldemort'. The consequences of that error were enormous. Hermione was tortured, Dobby the elf was killed and we were never closer to death than at that time, but we also got the information we needed to finally crack the mission and win."

Ron and Hermione were holding each other. Ron started talking as if to himself. He couldn't bear to look at anyone. "It was absolutely awful. I know it was far worse for Hermione, but it was the worst day of my life. Harry and I were locked in the cellar. _We_ _couldn't get out_. Upstairs Bellatrix Lestrange crucioed Hermione again and again. I had begged her to take me instead, but she wanted the 'mudblood'. She wanted to know where we had got the Sword of Gryffindor." He paused, his breath ragged, his face contorted with pain as if he was reliving every moment. "On and on it went. Scream after scream after scream. Every scream cut through me like a white hot knife. I desperately wanted to get to Hermione to protect her, to save her but I couldn't. _I couldn't_." Ron was cradling Hermione in his arms rocking gently back and forth, tears rolling down his face, giving her the protection now he couldn't give her then.

Everyone in the room had already heard that Hermione had been tortured, but that was abstract knowledge. Now the raw pain of it was graphically on display. Every one of Ron's agonised words cut deeply into the assembled group. They were each deeply affected by it. They were moved too by the strength of Ron's concern and love for Hermione.

Ron finished up, "Eventually Dobby showed up and rescued us from the cellar. Then Harry, Dobby and I managed to rescue Hermione from Bellatrix. We apparated to Shell Cottage but Dobby died from Bellatrix' knife."

"Bellatrix had thought the Sword of Gryffindor was in her vault," Harry explained still shaken by the power of Ron's testimony, "she was mortally terrified that The Dark Lord would discover we had been in her vault at Gringotts. I decided there must be a horcrux in the vault. As it turned out, there was."

Harry explained the planning for the mission to Gringotts including the deal with Griphook. Then Ron, relieved to talk about a less emotive topic, told the story of the break in the manner of a rollicking adventure. By the time he was finished his brothers, including Percy, were whooping and yelling. All except Bill.

"I don't think even Fred could top that story, Ron," said George, tears of laughter rolling down his face. "On the back of a dragon! It'll be told over and over again down the ages."

"Not at Gringotts it won't," commented Bill, "Harry, don't expect to get into your vault any time soon."

Bill was worried, "Harry, what are you going to do when Griphook comes demanding the sword back? He will you know."

"He won't, Bill, Griphook is dead," Harry said with regret. "After the raid, Voldemort finally knew we were hunting his horcruxes. He was in a towering rage. He murdered everyone in sight including Griphook." Harry became visibly upset.

"The things we did," he said in a strangled voice, "The thing we did, the raids, they had consequences. We didn't mean that. We didn't mean for anyone to die. We…" He couldn't continue. Hermione put a reassuring arm around his shoulder but said nothing.

"We get the glory and they're, they're just dead. Innocent…" Harry became distraught as the weight of all those who had been hurt during the war, all those who had died, came crashing down on him.

"It's not your fault, Harry," Arthur said gently, but Harry barely heard him. He shook as he fought to keep himself together. Hermione held him firmly and Ginny put a reassuring hand on his knee.

After some time he resumed. "Sorry. When Voldemort realised what we were doing, he mentally reviewed all his horcruxes. I was able to discover that there was a horcrux here at Hogwarts that had something to do with Rowena Ravenclaw. I also had confirmed what we had long suspected that the final horcrux was his snake Nagini."

Understanding hit Neville. "'Kill the snake! Kill the snake!' That's what you told me, Harry. Did I destroy a horcrux?"

"Yes you did," replied Hermione with a big smile, "the final one. With a swift stroke of your mighty sword you severed Voldemort's last connection to immortality. We're very proud of you, Neville."

"It was only after you had killed Nagini," added Harry, "that I could finally confront Voldemort."

Neville beamed.

Percy asked, "You didn't have the sword, Harry. How did you destroy the cup horcrux?"

Hermione happily described their trip to the Chamber of Secrets, extravagantly praising Ron's "brilliance."

"Hermione then destroyed the cup with a basilisk fang. It was brilliant!" beamed Ron with equal pride.

Harry then described their adventure in the Room of Hidden things, their narrow escape and the destruction of the Diadem of Ravenclaw by fiendfyre.

"Bleeding hell, Harry," swore George, "I'm with Ron. I would've left the murderous gits to their well-deserved fate."

Before Harry could respond, Percy cut in with his own pressing observation.

"I only count six horcruxes. You said there seven, Harry."

Harry's heart sank. He didn't want to talk about this but he knew he had to. He slowly opened his mouth to speak. Luna cut across him.

"Well it's obvious, isn't it?" Luna was back to her old form. "Harry was the seventh Horcrux. Is that why you gave yourself up to the Dark Lord, Harry?"

Everyone was stunned speechless, including Harry, Ron and Hermione. They had forgotten just how perceptive their friend was.

Molly was the first to recover. "Luna, dear, that just isn't possi –."

"Yes," Harry cut across Molly in a clear firm voice. "Yes, Luna, that's exactly right."

No one could speak; everyone was reeling, lost in their own thoughts. Harry began to speak again. He explained what he learnt from Snape's memories, blurring a lot of the detail. Finally he concluded, "I had to allow Voldemort to hit me with a killing curse."

More silence, then Molly asked, "but Harry, how did you know you would survive?"

Harry paused a long while. Horror spread through the room as one by one people began to realise how he would answer.

"I expected to die," Harry said quietly. "I did die," he added.

More silence, then the horrible sound of Ginny retching. Ginny moved to get up, but Harry put a hand on her shoulder and gently pushed her down again. He sat down beside her and held her firmly as she began to dry retch. Harry got out his wand. He cleaned the sick from the floor and then he began to work slowly, methodically, gently cleaning her jeans, her shirt and her hair. He alternated between watching what he was doing and looking into her pale questioning face. His face displayed no revulsion, just compassion and love.

When he was finished he turned to Ginny and held both her hands in his and looked straight into her pained eyes.

"Why? How?" was all Ginny could get out.

"It was the hardest thing I ever did, walking into that forest." Harry and Ginny were only talking to each other now but everyone in the room could hear every word clearly.

"I saw you as I walked to the forest. I wanted to stop and talk to you one last time. I knew I couldn't do that. I could not have left you, could not have gone to Voldemort."

"Why do it at all?"

"I thought it was the only way I could save you, save Ron, Hermione, save everyone. I thought it was the only way the nightmare would ever end. I thought it was my destiny. What I had to do."

"You died?"

Harry explained meeting Dumbledore in Kings Cross station, how he had a choice to 'go on' or return.

"What was it like there?"

"There was no pain, no sadness, just peace."

"You chose to come back."

"For you and to finish what Ron, Hermione and I had started. In truth, I needed, once more, to see my beautiful chaser, her long red hair flying in the wind, a smile on her lips and mischief in her eyes."

Ginny looked into Harry's eyes for a very long time, letting his words take effect, letting true understanding come. Finally a smile filled her face and she said simply, "OK." She sat back saying to Harry, "let's finish the story."

Harry turned back to the room, but he stayed on the floor with Ginny. He told them of Narcissa's betrayal of Voldemort and he took them in detail through his final duel with Voldemort.

"And the rest is history," concluded Ron.

For a while no one spoke. They were all totally drained. They had each been on an extraordinary journey. They had cried, they had laughed, they had been terrified, shocked and amazed, warmed and chilled. They no longer knew how to take the three exceptional teenagers whose story they had just shared. It was just too much to process. It would take a long time for those who participated in the night to come to grips with everything they had heard and seen.

It was Kingsley who finally spoke. "I do not think I will ever forget tonight. I thank you for letting me share in this. I feel deeply, deeply privileged." He paused and then added, "Melanie and I have a lot to do. We'll have a draft press statement ready for you by tomorrow morning."

"Kingsley, we want to push the press conference to 1:00 if that's OK. We want to catch up with DA beforehand."

"That shouldn't be a problem, Harry, in fact it suits me. OK I'll fix it."

George spoke up, "I would like to ask for something Harry, Kingsley. Could you hold off on the story of the seventh horcrux and Harry's walk into the forest?"

"Why George?" asked Harry.

"It's an important story and deserves to be told, must be told, but it is far, far too powerful. If it is told now no one will hear anything else. They won't hear about all the other extraordinary things you three have done. They won't hear about what the DA did. They won't hear about what Fred…"

He stopped, took a deep breath and then continued. "They won't hear about Fred, they won't hear about the others who gave their lives. All these stories deserve to be heard too."

Arthur added, "I think George is right."

"Harry?" asked Kingsley.

"George is right."

"OK," said Kingsley. "Now Harry, Ron, Hermione for security reasons I need you three to share the same dormitory you used last night. I still need to post a guard and I don't have the resources if you split up."

Ron smiled to himself. He'd put Kingsley up to this earlier in the day. He didn't want a battle with his Mum over sleeping arrangements just yet.

Ron's reaction wasn't missed by Arthur. "Well done son," he thought, "yes, son, very well done indeed."


	6. Three Conversations

Chapter 5: Three Conversations

A large group of mostly red headed witches and wizards walked along Hogwarts's battle scarred corridors. They were largely quiet. They were still reflecting on the astounding story that Harry, Ron and Hermione had shared with them that night. Bill, Fleur and Charlie were heading to Shell cottage for the night. The rest were destined for different beds in the various dormitories of Gryffindor Tower.

Ron deliberately slowed his pace a little so that he and Hermione soon fell behind Harry, Ginny and the rest of the Weasleys.

"You OK Hermione?" queried Ron, looking at her with both concern and affection. "That was more than a little rough."

Still holding Ron's hand, Hermione now grasped his arm with her free hand and pulled him closer.

"Thanks to you. You were wonderful," she breathed looking up at Ron. "You really helped me."

"We helped each other."

"We did."

They continued walking in silence. After a while Hermione looked a little perplexed, "I'm surprised what Kingsley said about us three needing to stay together tonight for security reasons."

"Why, it seemed reasonable to me."

"Well there hasn't been any security around us this evening. He hasn't provided an escort back to the tower either. Surely the castle has been secured by now."

"You don't mind sharing the dorm with Harry and I do you?" asked Ron beginning to feel a little queasy.

"No, of course not," Hermione replied though she didn't look as certain as her words sounded, "it's just that I'm not sure everyone is going to understand."

"We've all been sleeping in the same room together for the last nine months."

"Yes but other people don't know that and we're not living in a tent anymore. We're not on the run."

"Well if you prefer to sleep in your old dorm, I'm sure Kingsley wouldn't mind." Ron sounded disappointed.

"That's not what he said."

"Um, Hermione, Kingsley only said that because I asked him too," Ron confessed beginning to worry. "I didn't want a battle with Mum over sleeping arrangements."

"You said that to Kingsley without asking me first!" hissed Hermione. "Do you know how embarrassing that is? Merlin, what does Kingsley think?"

"Well uh _"

"And you don't get to decide where I'm sleeping Ron! Just because we're now going together doesn't mean you get to make my decisions for me."

"I am letting you make your own decisions, why do you think I'm telling you about this now."

"It's a bit late now! The damage is already done. You had no right."

"Well I'm sorry, excuse me for thinking you might have wanted to be with me. I must have misheard you when you said you cared about me. I thought I was helping you."

"That's not the point Ron, you're being obtuse."

"Oh, so I'm being stupid now am I. I may not be as smart as you Hermione, but I know trying to work out what your girlfriend needs without being told and then doing it is important."

"You're unbelievable Ron! You were doing it for me were you? It wasn't because you were planning on a little snogging? So what's going to happen next? Is Kingsley going to call Harry out to a special meeting so you can get me alone?"

"Didn't think about that. I think I'll run after him and ask him to do just that," Ron tried to joke.

"Don't try and charm your way out of this Ronald. You can't take me for granted like that."

"Take you for granted? I don't take you for granted, Hermione."

"You have a funny way of showing it!" Her nostrils flared.

"What about you. You…" Ron choked of the ugly retort that was forming in his mind. He didn't want to hurt Hermione. He realised he didn't even want to be fighting Hermione. He took a deep breath trying to regain his calm.

Hermione was staring at him hard, eyes blazing, wondering why he had stopped.

Ron looked into her eyes and spoke gently, "I'm sorry Hermione. You're right. I should have asked you before I spoke to Kingsley. I didn't mean to upset or embarrass you though. I'm sorry."

Hermione didn't know what to say. She was still angry but she didn't really want to keep on fighting either. She continued to stare at Ron, breathing hard, allowing him to take the discussion where he wanted.

Ron felt an overwhelming burst of love for Hermione and words began to flow. He couldn't stop himself if he wanted to which he didn't. The overflow of emotions from the debrief, from the battle, from the last few days swept away all barriers, all embarrassment. This was nothing like the tentative revelations, the shared confessions of love that had taken place at Shell Cottage, wonderful though that had been. It was an unstoppable torrent that laid his soul bare to Hermione even as it revealed it to Ron himself.

"I don't want to fight you, Hermione," he had started gently; "it's like fighting myself."

He paused, and then he took her hands in his and looked deeply into her eyes with a look that conveyed supreme tenderness and an overwhelming need for her to understand, to know. His words started softly then rose in a steady rhythm; "You are my centre, Hermione, my core, my heart, my reason. Nothing fills me more than your joy, nothing warms me more quickly than your smile, nothing drains me faster than your disdain, and nothing hurts me more deeply than your pain. There is nothing more precious to me than you, nothing."

All anger had fled Hermione's eyes. She stood there transfixed, her jaw dropping, her eyes riveted on Ron.

Ron now had tears in the corners of his eyes and was shaking just a little with the depth of feeling that was flowing through him toward Hermione. "You are the inspiration of my best actions, the source of my courage, the focus of all my hopes. I love you Hermione with all my being. I think I have for a very long time. I would die for you Hermione, I think you know that, though I _never_ want to leave you, _never_. I regret every hurt I have ever caused you more than you can ever know and I never want to be the source of your hurt again. More than anything I want to make you happy."

Hermione was crying now, unable to say a word, aware of nothing other than Ron and the stream of words he was pouring forth.

"And Hermione it is the most indescribably wonderful, scarcely believable thing that you love me too. I don't understand that but I want to. I need to. I never want to do anything that would change that, risk your love for me, drive you away. I never want to take you for granted or take for granted your love."

"Hermione, I long to make love to you, not today, not tomorrow but when you are ready. At times it is all I can think of. You are so unbelievably beautiful." Hermione was taken aback. They never talked about this, but she felt her own desire rising at his words, her body responding. She understood that she too longed for this. Ron continued relentlessly; "My body aches for you. I want to touch you and kiss you everywhere. I want to hold you and fill you. I want to cherish you with my body as I do with my heart."

"But Hermione I am scared, so scared. I'm scared I'm going to stuff this up. I'm scared of the power of what I feel for you, I'm scared I'm going to do something stupid and destroy what we have, what we might build in the future. I couldn't bear that. I want so badly to build that future with you. I want so badly to be with you in every possible way. So forgive me Hermione if I take a wrong step. Help me to understand how to do this right. There is nothing more important to me."

Hermione gently cupped Ron's face in her hands. "Oh my beautiful, beautiful Ron, nothing is going to drive me away. I love you so much. I'm scared too Ron, but if we trust each other with what we are feeling, are honest with each other as you have been tonight then we can be each other's guide. It will be our great, grand, wonderful adventure, just the two of us, the adventure of our lives, literally. I so much want to share that journey with you, Ron."

They moved in to kiss one another. It was a kiss unlike any other they had ever shared. It spoke of tenderness and love but it also held the promise of unbridled passion. More than anything it spoke of implied but as yet unvoiced promises. When they broke apart Ron felt the need to make those promises explicit. He looked at Hermione with unreserved love and with the utter certainty that came from came from recognition of his deepest truth, he spoke;

"Hermione Jean Granger, I can't imagine a life without you, I don't want to try. I want to build a life together with you. I promise to love you, to support you, to stay in there with you no matter what._ I will never abandon you again."_

Hermione gasped. Her head was swimming, her heart caught in her throat. She gathered all her courage, all her love for Ron, her own deep truth and replied in a bright clear determined voice;

"Ronald Bilius Weasley I can't imagine a life without you, I don't want to try. I want to build a life together with you. I promise to love you, to support you, to stay in there with you no matter what._ I will never close you out. I will never give up on you, on us."_

They stood there, face to face, hands clasped in front of them, eyes shining brightly, glistening with tears of joy, grinning from ear to ear, on the verge of giggles.

"Did we just become engaged?" asked Hermione incredulously.

"No, my brilliant beautiful Hermione, I think we just got married."

"Oh my."

"We will do it properly one day, when we're both ready, when we both decide, but we will do it."

"Yes we will," Hermione stated simply, her heart filled with utter joy. She added with a wicked grin that held more than a hint of desire, "you know Ron, if you hurry after Kingsley you could still get him to tie up Harry in meetings all night."

Arm in arm, happier than they had ever been before in their lives, they headed for Gryffindor Tower and a new life together.

As they walked, Ron spoke again; "Hermione, I believe it should only be up to us how things go between us now. I know I should have talked to you first, but that is why I talked to Kingsley. I don't think it's up to my Mum where we sleep or what we do, even at the Burrow. We've been through too much together to go back to that."

"She is not going to like it and she is going to have a very hard week this week as it is. We all are. You have to take that into consideration."

"I don't want to hurt or fight her either if it isn't necessary. I should be asking you first, though, what you want, that is what's important to me."

"What do you want, Ron?" Hermione had stopped walking and was looking expectantly at Ron.

"I want to share a room with you. I don't want share it with Harry. I want it understood that what happens in that room is our business only. I want to start that adventure of our lives that you talked about with you as my guide at whatever pace you choose."

"That's what I want too, Ron," replied Hermione in a small voice, becoming nervous, "I want it very much. I don't want to hurt your Mum though or Harry for that matter."

"I know."

"Maybe we should leave it for this week and then when the opportunity arises we can talk to your parents."

"I'll talk to my Dad, he'll understand and it will be a whole lot easier if we get him on our side. But Hermione, if they say no I won't stay at the Burrow. I meant it when I said it is only up to us what happens between us, OK?"

"More than OK."

They resumed their march back to Gryffindor Tower.

**·****·**

The next morning, after breakfast, Molly and Arthur went for a walk in the grounds of Hogwarts. Reminders of the battle were everywhere; masonry blasted from the castle and from shattered gargoyles was strewn across the lawns, there were deep gouges in the earth and many of the once graceful trees were deeply charred. There was even the occasional arrow still sticking out of the grass, long since loosed from a centaur's bow. The reminders oppressed them, but they wanted some private time just together, something that had been virtually impossible from the time they arrived for the battle.

At last they found a bench that afforded views less impacted by the battle. Molly was distressed.

"Oh Arthur, we are going home leaving one of our own behind. It's not right. It's not right. We are supposed to keep them all safe, to bring them all home with us. It's our job." Her head was nestled in Arthur's shoulder. He had his arm around her.

"I know Molly, it feels so wrong. It is wrong. He is…was too young." Arthur too was distressed and in anguish. "If it had to be someone it should have been me."

"No Arthur, Arthur no." Molly jerked up in fright. "Don't make me think about that, it's already too much. I couldn't bear it if _"

"Oh Molly, love, I didn't mean to upset you. I'm not going anywhere."

"I'm going to miss him so much."

"I know."

"If anyone had ever told me I would miss Fred's silly tricks, his endless teasing, I would have thought them mad."

"I was watching George teasing Ron yesterday. His heart wasn't in it. It was pathetic. I found myself willing him on. 'You can do better son, for Fred's sake'. We're going to have to make sure we don't lose George too."

"It's not going to be easy. I hope he lets us help. You know independent they …."

"We'll do it as a family. That's who we are, what we built. When it really counts we all come together. …We got Percy back when it counted."

"We got Percy back."

After some time,

"We could so easily have lost Ron." Molly whispered.

"We didn't."

"I couldn't sleep last night. That story they told. I knew they were in danger, we all were, but Merlin that story."

"I am so proud of them, I'm proud of all of us, actually."

"The load they had to carry. No one should have asked grown adults to carry that, but children!"

"I don't believe they've been children for some time, at least not since Dumbledore died."

"They shouldn't have had to grow up so soon."

"I don't like it, but I think Harry was right, it had to be those three. Everything was asked of them and they gave it. I wonder if the world will ever understand how much they owe them."

"We could have lost all of them, Arthur. Hermione was tortured! We could have lost them all so easily."

"I know, I know. Their story deeply shocked me too. It still does. But do you know the most important thing I will always remember about last night, Molly?"

"The love."

"The love. The love and friendship those three have for each other is extraordinary, beautiful. The love that was behind Harry's walk into the forest, that is something else again. And then there's our two youngest. They are both very much in love, and the people they love return it in full force. It's not puppy love."

"No, no it's not. What Hermione went through at Malfoy manor is terrible, but Ron's recounting of it tore my heart. He is still feeling the pain of it, still trying to protect her from it. Hermione is trying to take on Ron's pain too and support him. The love is very deep."

"It is pretty clear they have the life-bond. They are still very young for that to have happened. Times like they've been through this year can often bring it on early, though. It did with us."

"I'm sure you're right about the life-bond but I now think it formed between them some time ago, maybe as early as their fourth year."

"Are you sure? Merlin knows they've faced enough danger together over the years, but that young? That's very, very rare."

"Pretty sure. It explains a lot. It's why they kept on fighting each other, kept on hurting each other but always returned to each other, always dancing around each other, always focusing on each other. It was the only way they could handle something as powerful as a life-bond when they were so young, so immature. No matter how much they hurt each other though, they were always there for each other when it was important. You have to remember too that Hermione is muggle born. A life-bond isn't that common among magical folk. It is very rare among muggles I understand. Even a smart girl like Hermione could not have understood what had hit her."

"They aren't dancing around each other anymore," Arthur observed. "The barriers they've erected between themselves have been blown away by this war. They won't be holding back anymore, not for long anyway. We're going to have to let them make their own decisions, Molly."

"What are you saying Arthur?"

"I think Ron and Hermione will want to share a room, maybe not tonight, but soon. They will want Harry to move into another room. I believe we should allow that to happen."

"Arthur, we didn't even permit Bill and Fleur to share a room together and they were engaged."

Arthur turned around to face her. "Molly, look at me, do you honestly believe that Bill and Fleur's relationship at that time, the journey they had shared to that point is remotely comparable to Ron and Hermione's?"

Molly paused before replying. "No Arthur I don't, but they are still both so young."

"No younger than we were."

"Yes, but we're the parents now. We're supposed to be looking out for them."

"And that's what we should do Molly my love, they are going to need all the support we can give them. They are going to find it hard enough recovering from the trauma they've been through and navigating their new relationship. They don't need to be fighting us as well."

"You are right I suppose. We'd lose anyway, our parents did."

"Yes we would. I'm fairly certain that Ron put Kingsley up to that little announcement about security last night. He didn't want a fight with you about sleeping arrangements dearest Mollywobbles."

Molly burst out laughing. When she finally stopped she turned to Arthur saying "If you told me a year ago that our little Ronnie would have the Minister of Magic running interference for him on his love life..." They both burst into the deepest laugh they had shared since before the battle, since before Fred had been killed.

"We still have a problem though Arthur."

"Ginny."

"Ginny. If Ron and Hermione share a room, Ginny will want to move in with Harry. It will be very hard to stop her. I know she loves Harry but she is still underage. She's had to grow up a lot in the last year but she's not ready yet for an adult relationship. She'll only hurt herself and Harry."

"We just have to be very firm with her. And we have to trust Harry."

"Harry is still a teenage boy, a teenage boy who has just won a war and can now lay down the burdens he has had to carry for seven years. A teenage boy who is madly in love with Ginny. You are asking an awful lot of him."

"I know, I know but do we have a choice. I would never kick Harry out of our home. Would you want that?"

"Never! Harry is our son too."

"So we have to trust him. We have to trust his love for Ginny. You saw him last night. That wasn't teenage hormones."

"No it wasn't. I was deeply moved. There was so much care, so much concern, so much tenderness. It's the real thing for Harry. You're right Arthur. We have to trust that love."

"In the end, what else is there to trust in, but love? We are very blessed, Molly dearest."

"That we are, my love. That we are." Leaning into each other, finding a moments peace, they rested in companionable silence.

**·****·**

In the Great Hall, Oliver Grantham had just finished his breakfast. A young blonde witch in her mid-twenties came up him.

"Good morning, Mr Grantham."

"Ah Keira," he smiled, "you have it?"

"Yes sir." She handed him a small thin dossier.

"Good, Good." He gave the document a quick scan, and then he stood and headed briskly for the door. "Come, Keira, let's walk and talk." He didn't want their discussion overheard.

"Give me the highlights, Keira."

"Well as you would expect Harry Potter is a legend in the school. More surprising perhaps is that so are Granger and Weasley. Granger is widely regarded as the brightest witch to attend the school in some time." Keira was finding it difficult to keep up Grantham's pace and talk at the same time. She wasn't going to tell her boss that though. Grantham realising her discomfort took pity on her and slowed down.

Keira continued, "Weasley is mostly famous for being Potter's best friend, though his relationship with Granger is a subject of much amusement, speculation and puzzlement. Apparently their shouting matches are still a talking point in all four houses."

"I'm not really interested in their love life."

"Well the main thing is that the three of them have been virtually inseparable since first year. Some of the stories of their exploits are plainly not credible, though they are widely believed in Hogwarts. For example they are supposed to have stopped the Dark Lord returning in full bodily form when they were still in first year, fighting giant triple headed dogs and life size magical chess pieces along the way. Ridiculous!"

"So what can be believed?"

"It's beyond dispute that they formed and trained the now famous DA in secret right under noses of the Ministry of Magic and Dolores Umbridge when they were in fifth year. The ministry didn't want the kids to know how to fight. The kids knew, even then, they would need to. Pretty impressive really."

"Anything that would indicate their political leanings? Their values?" asked Grantham.

"You might find this interesting," replied Keira. "Just after the 1994 Quidditch world cup, Granger founded an organisation called S.P.E.W. or the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. Potter was secretary and Weasley was treasurer. Apparently the Longbottom boy, you know the "Snake Killer", was also a member."

"Excellent Keira, excellent. Thanks for your quick work," said Grantham. "Do you know how the report on the Weasley family is progressing?"

"You should have it later this afternoon, I think"

"Good. Ok I'll see you back in the office later today." He dismissed Keira and turned to his own thoughts. The information about S.P.E.W. supported what he already suspected; that Potter, Granger and the Weasleys favoured radical causes and were likely to use their influence to promote them. "_Merlin I hope Granger never gets better at choosing acronyms_," he thought wryly.

Grantham edited a small legal gazette and was able to use that to obtain press credentials for today's conference. The S.P.E.W. information could prove very useful. The Press Conference was going to be fun, he smiled to himself.


	7. Resistance

Chapter 7: Resistance

If Molly and Arthur had looked around when they were discussing the problem of Harry and Ginny they would have seen this very couple strolling arm in arm towards the Hogwarts' lake. They didn't.

Harry was irritated, "You've heard our story, Ginny, now I would like to hear your story. I know you haven't had an easy time of it."

Ginny was plainly reluctant. "Neville's going to tell you all about it soon anyway. Why don't you wait for that?"

"I need to understand what _you_ went through Ginny; Neville is only going to give us an overall picture. He certainly won't be telling me what you were thinking and feeling."

They reached their favourite spot by the lake and sat down on the ground, side by side, their backs resting on a broad tree trunk, hand in hand.

"It's hard, you know," Ginny exhaled.

Harry just raised his eyebrows.

"Well off course you know… It's been such an awful year, what with Hogwarts and then being afraid for everyone all the time, awful."

"Tell me about Hogwarts."

"I've always loved Hogwarts. It's had its moments of course; being possessed by Voldemort's horcrux and being dumped by my boyfriend so he could go save the world being two spectacular low points. By and large, though, it's been great."

"This year it turned into a nightmare that you couldn't wake from." Ginny paused, trying to find the right words. "There was precious little joy in the place. Many people were living in fear, including the staff. Many people, especially the young students, were traumatised. It's going to be a big job for a lot of those kids and the school itself to heal next year."

"The only people who thrived were the bullies, like Pansy Parkinson and her gang and, of course, the Carrows, Alecto and Amycus."

"Pansy's gang? What was Draco doing?" asked Harry.

"Draco wasn't at school this year, must have been doing more important Death Eater things. Draco's old cronies, Pansy, Zabini, Bulstrode and, of course Crabbe and Goyle were all prefects and allies of the Carrows. They were virtually untouchable officially. They were all more than happy to use their power to bully and abuse. Keeping them in check was a major task the DA set itself this year."

"How did that work out?" asked Harry.

"It sorta worked. We came to a loose arrangement. They went easy on most kids, especially the young ones, and the DA didn't beat then into a bloodied pulp. It didn't stop them taking out their frustration on us sometimes."

"Did they hurt you Ginny?" asked a concerned Harry.

"I was one of their favourite targets what with being 'Harry Potter's blood traitor girlfriend' and all," said Ginny in a matter of fact way. She looked at Harry with a reproachful half-smile. "Apparently you forgot to send a note to Pansy and the rest of the Slytherins announcing that you had dumped me."

Harry grimaced. "Ginny, I'm sorry, I_"

"Harry, it doesn't matter. I'm a Weasley, the biggest blood traitor family there is even without any connection to 'undesirable number one'. I was always going to be a target both for Pansy's gang and the Carrows. A lot of the kid's didn't buy the 'Ron has spattergroit' line either. I was the Weasley they could get at."

"People thought Ron was with me? That could have been really dangerous for you and your family," said Harry with concern. "We tried to make sure he wasn't seen with us."

"There were a lot of spattergroit jokes going around Gryffindor early in the year. Madam Pomfrey got sick of kids presenting with fake symptoms wanting to be sent home. We had to work hard to get people to shut up about it."

Harry was becoming increasingly upset at how much his association with her and her family had put Ginny in danger.

"Ginny, I am so sorry that_"

Ginny cut Harry off again. "Harry the only thing that upset me about being branded 'Harry Potter's blood traitor girlfriend' was that I didn't know if I was still your girlfriend. That was hard, but Harry I am proud of the things my family stands for, I am proud of the role each member of my family played in opposing Voldemort, I am proud that we have all taken a stand and fought for what we believe and I'm proud of the support we and especially Ron have been able to give you in your fight. There isn't a single Weasley who regrets the danger we willingly accepted in this war and that includes George. So don't you dare apologise for putting me in danger Harry Potter! I am damn proud of what I did during this war and if I had to pay a price, well then who didn't?"

"Can I apologise for apologising?" asked Harry with a weak grin.

"If you want to apologise, you can apologise for dumping me in the first place. That really hurt me you know and it made this last year even harder. I was worried about you all the time. We didn't know where you were, what you were doing, whether you were even alive. Then I'd also have to worry that even if you did survive you wouldn't want to be with me anymore. You see, despite being dumped, I still loved you, still had hopes of a future with you in it. What if you had outgrown me? What if you were never serious in the first place? What about those Italian Veelas? I even admit getting a little worried about you and Hermione, though I do know that's ridiculous. The thing is, there were times when I really needed something to hold on to, to hope for and I couldn't. You'd taken that away from me."

"I'm sorry Ginny."

"Now at least you're apologising for the right thing!"

"If it's any consolation, I hurt myself too. I was just as worried that you'd move on, find someone else. Here you were in a castle full of boys, some of them your ex-boyfriends. If I had known how much the hero Neville had become I would have worried about him too. I hope it doesn't sound pathetic, but often at night I would take out the Marauders map and just stare at your name, just glad that you were safe, hoping you could sense me thinking of you."

"It's not pathetic. Harry, I understand why you thought you had to do it, I forgave you a long time ago. Just promise me one thing. If you ever dump me again do it because you don't want to be with me. Don't do it for some noble reason, don't do it to protect me. That doesn't respect me. Whatever dangers the future might hold, we face them together. I know your every instinct is to protect the people you love, but you have to accept this. It's make or break for me."

Harry stared at Ginny for some time, torn between two conflicting emotions. "Ginny, I don't expect the situation to rise again but what you are asking is hard. If breaking up with you meant saving your life, maybe the life of ou...your children, I would really want to save you."

"Harry what I am really asking is that when it comes to the really hard decisions, decisions that affect us, we make them together. You don't get to decide by yourself like you did last year. We're either in this together or where not. Can you accept that?"

After some hesitation Harry nodded, "OK. Ginny, I can accept that."

"Promise?"

"I promise." Ginny relaxed.

"Good. Now Mr Potter, are you now planning on having children with me? Is that what I heard you almost say?"

"Ginevra Weasley! … Just at the moment, no. I just got rid of one person who was trying to kill me. I don't need your father to take on the job. Besides, I promised him I wouldn't do anything rash."

"So you did. I hope you remember what you just promised me before making any more such commitments that affect us both. Fortunately 'rash' is very much in the eye of the beholder, wouldn't you agree Mr Potter?"

"Ginevra Weasley! I do believe you are trying to lead me astray."

"Is it working?" she smirked.

In answer, Harry leant in and kissed Ginny who responded eagerly. After spending quite some time in very enjoyable snogging, Harry broke apart.

"You can lead me astray like that whenever you want to Ginny"

"I intend to," replied Ginny.

Harry became more serious. "Ginny, commitment to you father or not, I still want to take things slowly between us. I don't want to rush things. We now have all the time in the world and I'm not going anywhere."

"It's usually the girl who wants to slow things down, but I have to fall in love with 'Harry the Responsible'," said Ginny rolling her eyes.

"Ginny, we're both still young. You're still underage, at least for the next few months, as your father pointedly remarked, and your still at school for another year."

"Aren't you coming back to Hogwarts for your Newts?" asked Ginny sounding surprised and disappointed.

"I don't know. It would feel strange coming back after this last year. I feel as if I've already moved on. I just don't know what my options are yet. I imagine Ron feels the same, though nothing could stop Hermione coming back to get her Newts."

"Harry, talk to me while you're making up your mind, will you? This affects both of us."

"Of course."

"It's time to go to the DA briefing," Ginny informed Harry.

As they set of for briefing, Harry remarked "don't think I haven't noticed you avoided telling me what happened to you last year, what with 'leading me astray' and all that. Is that going to be a pattern when you don't want to tell me something?"

Ginny ignored his question. "I will tell you everything Neville leaves out, OK?" she said biting her lower lip.

"OK."

The DA briefing was being held in the Room of Requirement in its configuration as DA headquarters and hideaway. When Harry and Ginny arrived most people were already there. They were both warmly greeted with a round of hugs, kisses and handshakes. Ginny had given Cho a quick glare when she kissed Harry in greeting.

Harry was happy to see Angelina Johnson and Lee Jordan and some of the other older DA members who had already left school. He was especially pleased to see George. He was pleasantly surprised to see Justin Finch-Fletchley, a muggle born DA member, who he had heard had been on the run all year.

Harry spotted Lavender Brown. She looked in a bad way; she was in a wheel chair, her head was heavily bandaged and both her legs were in a restraint. What he could see of her face was blotchy and pale. She was smiling though, sharing a joke with, of all people, Ron and Hermione who were holding hands. Harry went over to them.

"Hello Lavender, how are you? Shouldn't you be in the hospital wing?"

"Hi Harry, Madam Pomfrey has given me and Ernie special dispensation for this meeting. We weren't going to miss this for anything." She pointed to Ernie McMillan who was looking even worse than Lavender. His whole right leg was encased in what looked like a sausage shaped orange balloon. He was also in a wheel chair. He was talking animatedly with his old friends Justin Finch-Fletchley and Hannah Abbott.

"So what were you three laughing about?" Harry couldn't restrain his curiosity at this surprising grouping.

"Oh, you know, youthful misunderstandings, canaries and happy endings. I was telling Ron and Hermione here that I'm glad they've finally worked it out and got together. Far less confusing and stressful for everyone else," said Lavender. All three had big smiles on their faces. Ron and Hermione were looking at him with clear amusement at Harry's gobsmacked confusion.

"Uh, yeah, you're not wrong about that, Lavender, much less stressful. You didn't have to put up with them for the last year." Harry thought he'd get a dig back at Ron and Hermione.

There were ten other people in the room who had not been in the original DA. He assumed they must be students recruited into the DA this last year. This turned out to be correct. The new recruits were introduced to Harry, Hermione and Ron as well as to the older DA members.

The last to arrive was Neville who still held the Sword of Gryffindor. He wasn't accompanied by Luna this time though. He was accompanied by Daphne Greengrass and Anthony Goldstein.

A chilly silence quickly spread through the room as people spotted Daphne.

"What's that stinking Slytherin bitch doing in here?" demanded Seamus.

"Shut up Seamus," said Goldstein angrily.

"Don't you tell me to shut up, Goldstein. I didn't see you take much risk last year while the rest of us were taking beatings."

"I'm with Seamus; this is a hall for heroes. Some of us died!" spat Susan Bones. "We don't want it desecrated by the enemy."

"Shut it, all of you," commanded Neville.

"This was a bad idea, Neville. I should go," said Daphne quietly.

"No Daphne, it's important you stay," replied Neville.

"Daphne is here because I invited her. She is here because she has earned the right," said Neville with a firm, clear voice. He glared around the room staring down dissent.

"What I couldn't tell any of you before is that Daphne has been the DA's agent within Slytherin for most of the last year. She has been leading the resistance against Voldemort there. Anthony has been has been acting as liaison between her and me."

This announcement was met with stunned silence. Jaws were dropping all around the room. Seamus was the first to connect his jaw with his vocal chords.

"You're kidding us Neville?"

"No Seamus, I'm not. How did you think I got the information about the Death Eater plot to assassinate the High Warranters? Did you think it came to me in a dream? How do you think we got access to Pansy's wand, those other wands? That was Daphne. She took as many risks this last year as anyone else in this room except for Harry, Ron and Hermione who have been just plain suicidal. As for Anthony, before you take another swipe at him, Seamus, he kept a low profile this year because I ordered him to. It wouldn't do for Daphne to be seen with someone who was a known active member of the DA. He's had to put up with snide remarks and contempt from a lot of us in the DA. He begged me to let him get more involved but I wouldn't allow it."

"Why didn't you tell us? Who else knew?" asked Pavarti.

"Ginny and Luna knew that we had an agent in Slytherin and that Anthony was the liaison. They didn't know who the agent was. No one else knew. It was far safer for everyone involved to keep it that way." replied Neville.

"Wow!" said Seamus "It seems I owe the lady an apology. Sorry Daphne for my less than polite greeting. My Mum would clip me over the ears for speaking to a lady like that. Sorry."

"OK," said Neville, "now the introductions are over, let's get on with the main event. Harry, Ron, Hermione would you like to give us a rundown of what you've been up to while we've been having fun here at Hogwarts?"

Harry, Ron and Hermione arranged themselves on a couple of oversized bean bags near the end of the room, Harry on one, Ron and Hermione sharing the other. Everyone else arranged themselves in a broad circle around them sitting on an odd assortment of rugs, throw cushions, bean bags and chairs. Ginny sat next to Harry on a rug.

Harry, Ron and Hermione went through the story much as they had the previous night although much more succinctly. When it came to the locket they talked about its depressing effects but not the terrible argument and split that resulted. They stuck to the cover story that they had sent Ron to Bill's for information. They left out any mention of Luna's dad. Ron retold the story of Hermione's ordeal at Malfoy Manor just as he had the night before. Everyone was deeply affected. Daphne, who had been a guest at Malfoy Manor several times over the years, was sick to the stomach. She took some comfort from the fact that Draco, whom she had once considered a friend, had been reluctant to identify the trio and seemed to be operating under duress. Michael Corner, himself badly tortured, was shaking and was comforted by Luna who held him and rocked him back and forth whistling an oddly garish tune.

When the story was finally over every one sat back in silence. As with last night they were all trying to come to terms with the astounding story they had just heard. As before, it was Seamus who first found voice.

"Ginny and Neville kept on telling us that you three were still out there fighting." He scratched behind his ear. "I wanted to, but I didn't really believe them. I thought you were just on the run, trying to save your own hides. Now I feel ashamed for every ungenerous thought I had. That was one extraordinary story you just told us. It will be with great pride that I retell it to my grandchildren, tell them that I heard it from you three direct, and tell them how honoured I feel to be able to call you three friends. Thank you." Seamus had a tear in the corner of his eyes when he had finished speaking, as did not a few others.

"Yeah, what Seamus said," was echoed around the room.

"So how many grandchildren do you have, Seamus, you old dog?" quipped George.

Just at this time the door to the Hog's Head opened up and in came Aberforth levitating before him a table laden with platters of sandwiches and jugs of pumpkin juice. "The lunch you ordered, Neville," said Aberforth.

During lunch people kept on coming up to the three, 'ohing' and 'ahing' about different aspects of their story and clapping them on the back. Harry decided that he should go over and talk to Daphne who was talking to Luna, looking very uncomfortable. He had too often seen Daphne in the company of Draco and Pansy to be enthusiastic about this, but he thought he should do it.

He finally approached her and said "that is a very brave thing you have been doing Daphne."

"Coming from you, Harry, that is very high praise indeed." These were probably the first nice things they had said to each other in all the seven years they had known each other, all the shared classes they had had. They both felt awkward. Fortunately, Neville chose that moment to call the meeting back to order.

"Ok everyone let's get back to it. Harry and those who weren't here want to know what's been happening at Hogwarts."

When everyone was settled Neville began, "I would like to start with a battle report. We lost four members; Fred Weasley, Colin Creevey, Tycho Beamer and Lillian Tarrant. Both Lillian and Tycho were sixth years who joined us this year; both had only just turned 17 this last month. We also lost one ex member."

"Ex member?" queried Padma "The DA doesn't have ex members. Once a member, always a member."

"Yes we do Padma; we expelled one member for treason two years ago."

"Marietta?"

"Yes, Marietta joined the battle I guess in an effort to redeem herself. Trouble is she has had no training for two years and none of us trusted her enough to let her fight beside us. She was easy prey. She was killed quite early in the battle," explained Neville.

Cho was feeling a little sick. She had hardly spoken to her former friend in nearly two years. Hermione too was feeling a little guilty, wondering how much the word "Sneak" still visible on Marietta's face had contributed to her decision to join a battle she wasn't prepared for.

"Can I ask everyone to stand up for a minute's silence for Fred, Colin, Tycho and Lillian and if you have room in your heart to forgive, for Marietta too."

When everyone had resumed their seats Neville continued "we also had three members with serious injuries; Lavender, Ernie whose right leg was totally crushed and Millicent Lewis, another new recruit, who is in St Mungo's with critical curse wounds. It's still touch and go for Millicent. How's your leg going, Ernie?"

"They still don't know whether it is going to regrow or I'm going to lose it. Could go either way, they say," replied Ernie with resignation.

"Here's hoping Ernie. I am happy to report that every member of the DA new and old, bar one, participated in the battle. Even Justin Finch-Fletchley who we all thought was on the run managed to show up for the second half. How did you manage that Justin?" asked Neville.

"I've been working with an organisation that shelters muggle-born, helps them escape the country. I was in London with the wizard who founded the organisation. He got word when his son was evacuated from Hogwarts. We both got here as fast as we could."

"Who was the exception?" asked Ron.

"Zacharias Smith," replied Ginny, "he was last seen pushing first years out of the way so he could escape the castle even faster. He hasn't been involved with the DA all year anyway."

"Even the DA members who were underage and were supposed to leave fought, including my co leader, Ginny. So did Colin and Dennis Creevey even though Dennis is only 14, the youngest person in the battle. As muggle-born they weren't even attending the school this year." said Neville.

"I was so proud of you, Dennis," piped up Luna. "When McGonagall ordered you to leave you replied 'Sorry, but you can't give me orders, Professor. I am not a student at this school. My blood wasn't considered good enough. I'm still going to fight for your school anyway'. You almost brought McGonagall to tears, no easy thing, I think. You and your brother honoured us with your actions. I will miss him."

Neville continued his report. "All in all the DA did very well. We deployed fully one third of all the forces in the first half of the battle when most of the casualties occurred, but we only suffered 10% of the casualties. Partly that's dumb luck, but mainly it's because we put the training in. That started with what Harry did with us two years ago and continued with the training we have done this year."

Neville paused, looking with respect at each person in the room. "We have a lot to be proud about. If the DA hadn't stood firm the castle would have fallen very quickly. Harry, Ron and Hermione could not have finished the job they had been given and Voldemort would still be alive and in charge. The nightmare of the last year would have gone on and on, just getting worse day by day. I'm proud to be part of the DA and of every single one of you. Well done!"

George started clapping. Soon everyone was joining in. Someone proposed three cheers for the DA. Someone else proposed three cheers for Neville for his outstanding leadership and example. When it all died down Neville spoke again, "OK, we promised to give those of you who weren't here this year a rundown on what has been happening at Hogwarts. Ginny, would you like to talk about how and why we revived the DA?"

Ginny was taken by surprise, but quickly replied "sure Neville." She took time to gather her thoughts then began. "It started at the welcoming feast. Snape said very little, but he introduced his two new deputies, the Carrows. They spoke in turn. Alecto talked about the glorious new world order that was now being shaped and how it was now our job to learn how take our place in it and help build it. She gloried in the fact that the mudblood scum had been cleansed from the school. It was sickening. Amycus then talked about the importance of discipline and that it would be ruthlessly enforced. He stressed there would be zero tolerance for dissent or resistance."

Ginny paused, looking around the room before continuing. "We soon learnt what discipline meant. Punishments were cruel and degrading such as beatings and chaining kids to the wall. Everyone was shocked, but the first years were terrified and deeply distressed. They all wanted to go home. Teachers quickly stopped giving detentions but it did no good. The Carrows set up their own network of informants among the students and made these people the prefects. They were authorised to report infractions. One of the worst groups was Pansy's gang. Unfortunately there are bullies in any group and the Carrows were able to find people in every house willing to take on the role. These people soon found out they could act with a fair degree of impunity. Being the people they are they took advantage of it. Pansy's mob even started doling out on the spot punishments. They used a variation of the flagrante curse to inflict severe burns on people and other nasties."

"It was against this background that Luna, Neville and I were discussing what we could do. We wanted to do something about the punishments and we wanted to support the wider struggle against Voldemort. We finally came up with the idea off reforming the DA not just as a training group but as an active resistance operating within the school and connected to the outside resistance. I had a line of communication to the Order of the Phoenix and Luna's Dad had the Quibbler. We three were also the only ones still at the school who had actual combat experience. We had all fought Death Eaters in the battle at the department of mysteries and again in the Astronomy Tower the night Dumbledore died. We appointed ourselves leaders of a reformed DA and started recruiting. Almost all the original members of the DA joined up with barely a moment's hesitation. Never let it be said that courage is a commodity restricted to Gryffindor. The only one who didn't re-join was Zacharias Smith who refused to even talk about it. He was terrified at the idea."

"The first thing we tackled was the punishments. For some strange reason, the Carrows got into their heads that the worst possible punishment was night detention in the forbidden forest with Hagrid. Maybe they thought Hagrid was scary, maybe they had a traumatic experience in the forest as kids. Anyway we decided to reinforce this impression. We used a ghost hex on people coming back from detention with Hagrid. This made them shake and look deathly pale but otherwise was harmless. We begged the people who had been on this detention to refuse to talk about it, to act as if they were just too traumatised. It was a great scam while it lasted. All these kids were actually having a ball, toasting marshmallows in the fire, patting unicorns and being generally entertained by Hagrid. Eventually of course someone blabbed and Hagrid got into a lot of trouble. Not that Hagrid minded, he would have done it all again."

"Unfortunately, the Hagrid scam was only ever going to make a little difference around the edges. We had to take more forceful action. We started with Pansy's gang. We lured them to an empty classroom for what they thought was going to be a briefing from Alecto. There were eight of us hidden in cupboards around the room. We burst forth at a prearranged signal and stunned the lot of them before they knew what had hit them. We had Pansy, Zabini, Bulstrode, Crabbe and Goyle. We were all wearing face masks though they probably knew who we were. We disarmed them, hit them with a silencing charm and then hoisted them into the air, dangling from their legs, using levicorpus. We then unstunned them and proceeded to scare the living daylights out of them. The message we gave them was crystal clear, stop spot punishments, reduce referrals to the Carrows to the absolute minimum and if they were forced to use a nasty curse on someone to use the absolute minimum power. If they didn't we would beat them senseless and then really start to work on them. We told them if they somehow got us out of the way there were already several other groups lined up to carry out the threats. They got the message. Bullies are invariably cowards."

"We gave the same treatment to all the bullies. Things improved markedly after that. They weren't nice but they were nowhere near as bad. Then about a week later an awful incident occurred. Some bullies are just too stupid to be scared. Goyle is one such. A little second year Hufflepuff girl was running along the corridor just outside the Great Hall. She accidentally bumped into Goyle. He was enraged. He took out his wand and crucioed her again and again. Her screams echoed through the school. He was finally restrained and disarmed. Half the school witnessed the incident. Everyone was shocked. Even under the new regime this behaviour was outrageous. Everyone expected Goyle to be expelled, but nothing happened at all, not even the mildest reprimand. That changed things. A lot of people wanted to join the DA."

Angelina and Cho all looked like they were going to be sick as they heard this. Hermione was distraught. The men who hadn't been at Hogwarts that year all looked very angry.

Anthony Goldstein now spoke up. "It was at this time that I noticed Daphne comfort a little Slytherin girl who was absolutely distraught over what had happened. Apparently she was a close friend of the crucioed girl. When Daphne had settled the little girl down and sent her back to her friends, Daphne herself broke down and sobbed uncontrollably. I was moved, but I also realised that there must be a lot of people in Slytherin who were just as appalled by what was happening at Hogwarts as we were. I spoke to Neville and he agreed that it would be worthwhile for me to talk to Daphne to see if we could get an ally within Slytherin."

Daphne now spoke for the first time. She was very nervous. "Most people think that Slytherins were all behind the Dark Lord. Quite a few were its true, but most weren't. A lot of Slytherins come from powerful families. The Dark Lord was a direct threat to these families. Many of us have lost relatives, murdered by Voldemort so he could put his own people into the positions they vacated. Ambition and cunning, even ruthlessness are Slytherin traits, but cruelty is not. Most of us were appalled by the barbarity of the Death Eaters and the nightmare Hogwarts had become. When Anthony approached me I was more than happy to do whatever I could to fight The Dark Lord and his servants and to protect this school from their poison." When Daphne was finished she was surprised when she was met with a wave of applause.

"Thanks Daphne," said Neville. "We had to do something drastic about Goyle. I won't go into the details but it might have involved him spending some small part of the night dangling by his legs just out of reach of a nest of angry Acromantulas. The master stroke came when Luna used Goyle's wand to project a very crude and very funny image of Alecto and Amycus in a compromising position onto the ceiling of the Great Hall. It stayed there for about 5 hours. As people filed into the Great Hall for breakfast they all cracked up laughing. Even McGonagall couldn't get the satisfied smirk of her face. Alecto and Amycus were both livid, but even their anger couldn't stop the whole school laughing at them. They demanded, with threats of dire punishments, that the culprit be identified. Someone called out 'it was Goyle, check his wand!' Well Goyle had his wand back by now and _prior incantato_ revealed that Goyle was indeed the culprit. Goyle was marched out of the Great Hall on the point of Amycus' wand being repeatedly stung by nasty curses. The entire Hall erupted in cheers. No one saw Goyle for the next two days." Echoing what had happened in the Great Hall the entire room erupted into applause, all except Ron who was still shivering in contemplation of the Acromantulas.

"I don't want to pretend that things were just fine after this," continued Neville, "they were still awful but the bullies felt much more constrained. They took out their frustration out on us. The membership of the DA was no great secret in the school. They took great delight in referring us to the Carrows when they thought they could get away with it. They especially targeted Ginny and Luna. Ginny, because she was one of the blood traitor Weasleys and Harry's onetime girlfriend and Luna because she's Luna and because of the material being published in the Quibbler. Shortly after the Goyle incident they were both attacked and very badly hurt by Pansy's gang. They let us know that this was a one off revenge for Goyle and that they would by and large abide by the agreement – sort of. We made sure we only moved around the castle in groups after that."

George and Harry were looking very sick as they heard this. Ron was angry and kept on bashing his fist into his hand. He looked ready to explode.

Luna now chose to speak. "A lot of what we were doing was just silly stunts really, like trying to steal the Sword of Gryffindor. Luckily we got detention with Hagrid for that. We were still trying to work out what we were doing. I did notice that the graffiti we put up around the school had a positive effect on morale in the school. All the same, the punishments meted out by the Carrows always got nastier after we put up a particularly stinging message. It was hard to know the right thing to do."

"Our final stunt for the first term was a doozey," continued Neville. "We got hold of the Hogwarts letterhead and the parent's mailing list. Over the Christmas break, we sent out a fake Hogwarts letter to all parents. Fred and George helped with the logistics of that. The letter set out clearly and accurately the Death Eater values that students were now expected to adopt and the drastic punishment regime now in place. It included a new required items list that included things such as 'manacles, wall mountable for self-use' and books such as 'The Unforgiveable Curses – a Beginner's Guide by Alecto and Amycus Carrow' and 'Torturing Children for Fun and Profit'." Laughter interrupted Neville's narration. When it died down he continued.

"The letter caused a furore as you can imagine. Parents were already at breaking point because of reports they were getting from their children. The letter unleashed a storm that even Voldemort couldn't ignore. He must have really punished the Carrows because they were much more subdued when we came back for second term. It didn't last long though."

"The letter had a lot of consequences. We learnt a very hard lesson about collateral damage. Many parents refused to send their children back to Hogwarts despite it being compulsory. Some of those ended up in Azkaban. We lost Luna and the Quibbler. Luna's dad published the letter and that was the final straw. Luna was taken hostage and Xenophilius started to follow the party line."

"The worst thing was that it wasn't us who got the blame." Neville had spoken quietly. His voice now began to break up. "The Death Eaters believed that someone on the school staff had sent the letter. A few days into term the broken body of Rothena Green was found in Hogsmeade. She had been tortured and badly beaten. The letter was pinned to her chest. Rothena was the admin person at Hogwarts responsible for communication with parents." The room became utterly silent.

Neville couldn't continue. His breathing was ragged as he fought to prevent tears forming. Cho put an arm around his shoulders, "it's not your fault Neville, that's what happens in war."

"I wish I could believe that, Cho." Neville pulled himself together and continued, "We all did a lot of soul searching in the DA after Rothena's murder. Ginny and I also had a long talk with Professor McGonagall. She said much what you said, Cho, that it wasn't our fault. She also seemed to have a fairly good idea of what the DA had been doing and thanked us. She told us that, despite the cost, the letter had had a positive effect. The Carrows had been put on a short leash by Voldemort, with strict limits on how far they could go. She informed us that the staff was now concentrating all their efforts on protecting the children and that teaching, though important, was secondary to that. She suggested we become more selective in what we were doing and requested that we keep her informed of any major activity we planned. The final wash up was that the DA as a group agreed to focus on three things, protecting students, training for eventual battle and intelligence. I put Terry Boot in charge of intelligence with Padma and Pavarti assisting. Terry, would you like to tell us about it?"

"Sure, Neville," started Terry eager to tell his story, "Hogwarts is an extraordinary intelligence resource with connections into every corner of the wizarding community. Information pours in from all over the country in letters from parents and other sources. The idiots were monitoring letters being sent by students but, except for a few of us on a watch list, they weren't monitoring letters coming in. There was information on disappearances and deaths, on sightings of Harry and even on Death Eater activity. It was just a question of setting up an efficient system for collecting and analysing the information. We disguised the collection of letters as a paper recycling effort, though a lot of people knew what was really happening to the letters they 'recycled'. We even got good info from people who wouldn't have wanted to share it with us. We passed the analysed info on to Potterwatch, set up by Fred, George and Lee, and onto the Order of the Phoenix. Some of the best information I was getting came from Neville. He wouldn't tell me where he was getting it from, I guessed a teacher, but it was gold. Whenever I was able to confirm the info from other sources it checked out. I code named the source 'Gold', but maybe I should have called it 'Green' eh Daphne?"

"Our biggest coup came from info we got from 'Gold'," continued Terry getting excited. "When we put it together with info we had from other sources we were able to piece together the details of a Death Eater plot to assassinate the High Warranters."

"Who are the High Warranters?" asked Dennis.

"The High Warranters are the four members of the _Convocation of Warrants and Antecedents_ which is the most prestigious subcommittee of the Wizengamot. It directly appoints 80% of new members to the Wizengamot. Whoever controls that committee effectively controls the future of the Wizengamot," explained Hermione.

"I see you haven't lost your touch, Hermione, though you used to put up your hand and wait to be called," joked Terry.

"Ho, Ho," replied Hermione. "I've learnt this last year that delay can be fatal." This rejoinder sobered the room, reminding them the price the last year had extracted from them all.

"Yeah, well, uh Hermione is right of course," Terry spluttered picking up the threads of his story. "The High Warranters had gone into hiding though they were still meeting in secret from time to time to fill vacancies in the Wizengamot. Unfortunately one of their number, a certain Waldo Apsley, desperately wanted to be the Chief High Warranter and was quite happy to sell out his colleagues to get it. He set a trap. He gave the Death Eaters the time and location of the next meeting. They planned to ambush and murder the other three High Warranters. We were able to pass the info on to the Order of the Phoenix and they successfully ambushed the ambushers. The result, eight captured Death Eaters and one Waldo transferred to a secure place of internment."

"Thanks Terry for that, and to you, Padma and Pavarti for the enormous amount of work you did on this throughout the year. You were great! It made a real difference," said Neville appreciatively.

"About half way through second term the Carrows got back into full stride. They decided it would be a great idea to get students in the Dark Arts class to crucio students who had detention. Seamus, would you like to take up this story?"

"OK, Neville, that was a hard fight that one," said Seamus. "At first it was voluntary but that didn't work well. Even the bullies were reluctant to crucio another student under the full gaze of their classmates. Neville was the first to be ordered to do it. He was told to crucio a fourth year girl who was one of several who had been dragged into the classroom. She looked terrified. Neville refused. He simply looked Amycus in the eye and said 'no'. Amycus was enraged. He slashed Neville across the face with his knife and once more ordered him to do it or he would receive the same punishment as the girl. He refused. Amycus crucioed him. Neville slumped to the floor but he didn't utter a sound. He got back on his feet, drew himself to his full height and said '_Never_!' There was power in that defiance that must have shaken Alecto. He ordered Neville out of the room. Then he turned to me and ordered me to do it. I don't mind admitting I was terrified, but I felt the weight of the pride of the entire Irish nation resting on my shoulders. I wasn't going to buckle in the face of what Neville had just done. I refused. He cut my face. I refused again and he crucioed me. Merlin that was bad, but like Neville I got back to my feet and refused again. He then turned to Lavender."

"I too was terrified;" said Lavender quietly, "but Neville and Seamus example gave me the courage. I have never felt such pain, well not until a couple of days ago."

"Amycus was furious," continued Seamus. "He hit each of the three on detention with a crucio then stormed out of the room. Lavender and I went up to Madame Pomfrey to have our slashed faces repaired. Neville, though, seems to have developed a bad habit of collecting scars as souvenirs."

"I think they're a mark of distinction," said Luna to no one in particular.

Seamus ignored her. "By the end of the day the whole school knew of our defiant stand. We were heroes. Everyone in the DA agreed they too would refuse. Refuse they did along with many others, some more than once. Each refusal was met with the same punishments meted out to me, Neville and Lavender. The courage shown by Neville was infectious. It started with one man, but in the end almost the entire school stood up to the Carrows, even most Slytherins and they buckled. Just for a little while the school was proud of itself again and united.

Ginny now spoke up. "We also felt the need to challenge the poison that Alecto was spreading in her muggle studies class. Her views and her teaching were utterly vile. This was more of a guerrilla campaign, there was no way we were going to stop Alecto dead. The idea was to show by acts of defiance that some of us violently disagreed with the hateful nonsense Alecto was sprouting and that we were prepared to pay a heavy price to say so. That gave our views credibility and weight."

"We constantly challenged her teaching with reason and ridicule. This often led to anger and, often enough, violence against one of us. At one time she took particular objection to one of my more pithy observations. She slashed me across the face. They liked knives, the Carrows. She said to me 'I hope it scars blood traitor, if you're lucky you could probably still get a filthy Muggle boy to breed with you.' I replied 'had a lot of experience with that have we, Alecto?' For some reason this made her very angry. Maybe I should have called her Professor. She slashed me deeply across my chest. Another trip to the hospital wing, another detention but it was worth it. These stories spread like wildfire through the school making Alecto a laughing stock and undermining her authority and more importantly her message."

"At Easter we lost Ginny," continued Neville. "After Ron was captured and taken to Malfoy Manor the game was up for the Weasleys. They all had to go into hiding. They must have realised that the Weasleys as a group were deeply and actively involved in the war effort. I think that made them have a closer look at what was happening here. In any case, when we came back after the Easter break it was open season on the DA and the gloves were off. The bullies were revitalised too. It became dangerous just to show your face in the school. Seamus was very badly beaten. I knew as soon as I heard they had tried to take my Gran hostage that the game was up for me. I took shelter in this room. One by one the whole DA had to flee here for their lives. We stopped attending classes. We only left here to carry out various missions around the school. Michael Corner took on the last mission. He sallied forth shouting news of the Gringotts break-in. He was caught and badly hurt, the last victim of the Carrows. Then Harry, Ron and Hermione showed up."

"And then we liberated Hogwarts!" concluded Ginny.

George rose to his feet. "I would like every member of the DA who didn't attend Hogwarts this year to please stand," When they all had, he spoke again with great reverence to those still seated. "What we have just heard is an extraordinary story of courage, perseverance, tenacity and plain human decency. I am proud of you all and I am proud to be a member of an organisation whose name you have made glorious through your actions this year. We salute you." All the standing DA members gave their mostly younger colleagues a prolonged ovation.

When the applause subsided Harry spoke up, "I'd like to endorse everything that George just said. You guys are the true spirit of the DA. Neville I'm in awe of the inspirational leader you have become. I'd also like to acknowledge and thank all the rest of you for what you have done during this war. George, Lee what you did with Potterwatch was amazing, Justin that organisation you mentioned sounds like it did a lot of good too, and what all of you did during the battle, I am very grateful. I too am extraordinarily proud to be member of Dumbledore's Army."

"Thanks George, Harry for those words. Before we finish up does anyone need to say anything?" said Neville.

Ginny popped up "There is one important thing we need to decide before we finish."

"What's that Ginny?" asked Neville.

"Well this is just for the girls really. I'd like a show of hands of those who think Neville looks more handsome with the scars and those who think he should have them fixed."

The room exploded in laughter. This was soon accompanied by wolf whistles. Neville had the good grace to look sheepish and turn just the slightest bit red. "I don't think that item is on the agenda, dear Ginevra."

Ginny ignored him. "All those for the scars."

Luna, Angelina, Lavender and Daphne all raised their hands. All but Luna had deep smirks on their faces.

"No scars."

Ginny, Hermione, Hannah and all the remaining girls raised their hands trying hard to suppress giggles.

"There you have it Neville, the choice is now yours," concluded Ginny.

"Yeah, thanks."


	8. Press Conference

Chapter 8: Press Conference

Oliver Grantham looked around the room with great interest. In his days at Hogwarts this had been the transfiguration classroom. Perhaps it still was. It was certainly more crowded than he ever recalled seeing it. He was seated near the rear of a pack of about forty journalists from all around the wizarding world. Even for a gathering of wizards and witches the variety of clothing was bewildering, the colours dazzling. He had met journalists from as far afield as Tibet and Peru, Africa and Australia. He wondered how they all got here so fast, though he supposed many were based in Europe.

He was wondering what his sister in law, Melanie, was doing here bustling around the top table where three uncomfortable looking teenagers where trying to shield their eye's from the continuous flash of camera's. He knew she had an administrative job in the Auror's office where the new Minister of Magic used to work. Maybe he had roped her in to help for the day. He would find out in due course.

All the journalists had been given a press release an hour and a half ago, embargoed till the end of the press conference. When they had first received the release the room fell into utter silence as they all begun to read. The silence was soon punctured by the intake of breath and many whispered exclamations of 'Merlins balls!', 'Mein Gott!' and 'Sacré Bleu!' Most people acted in the same way as they finished, they sat back in silence too astounded to say a word. Then they joined in one of the many animated conversations that were building around the room. A consensus soon built among the journalists that the release left out just as much as it included and as a group they became determined to get the rest.

For Grantham It had been an astounding read and frightening too. His respect for the three teenagers had risen considerably. He had found himself regretting that in the future they were likely to find themselves on different sides of many issues. He had regrets too that he would be taking the first subtle steps today to diminish their public credibility.

Now his sister in law was talking, bringing the group to order.

"If I could have your attention, please," she called out. "Thank you. My name is Melanie Watts and I am the personal private secretary to our new acting Minister of Magic, Mr Kingsley Shacklebolt. He has asked me to conduct today's Press Conference. It is my great pleasure first of all to introduce to those of you who don't know them, most of you I think, three young people to whom we all owe a great deal; Mr Ronald Weasley … Miss Hermione Granger…. and Mr Harry Potter."

As their names were mentioned Ron, Hermione and Harry each nodded to the room and was greeted by a round of applause. Hermione was in the centre with Ron to her right, Harry on her left.

"Harry, Ron and Hermione will each make a brief statement," continued Melanie, "and then we will open up to questions from the floor. Please wait for me to call you before asking a question. Ron I believe you're up first."

"Er …ah…thanks, Melanie." Ron was blushing, feeling a little overwhelmed by all the strange faces staring at him. He had just about got his thoughts together when he was dazed as a barrage of flashes hit him in the eyes. "That was fun," he said in a low voice, raising his hand to shield his eyes somewhat belatedly. "Ok thanks for all coming today. Harry, Hermione and I have just come from a briefing with Dumbledore's Army or the DA that was formed here at Hogwarts two years ago. We've been catching up on what they have been doing while we have been off hunting down Voldemort's horcruxes. They have an astonishing story to tell and we have asked them to come down here to join us today. That's them lined up against the wall over there. Every one of them fought in the battle. That includes my brothers Fred and George and my little sister Ginny. My brother Fred died in the battle as did three other members of the DA." Ron's voice faltered briefly. "I'd particularly like to talk about the DA members who attended Hogwarts this year. They formed the core of the resistance here. Not only did they do a lot to protect the students from the Death Eaters running Hogwarts, they also contributed much to the wider struggle against Voldemort, including foiling a plot to assassinate the High Warranters." At this, quills flashed across pages, murmurs arose and cameras flashed at both Ron and the DA. "The DA was ably led by Neville Longbottom, Luna Lovegood and my own courageous sister, Ginny. I won't call her little anymore. I'm not that brave." This was greeted by light laughter. Ginny looked embarrassed. Ron continued "I'm extraordinarily proud of you Ginny…. Harry, Hermione and I are extraordinarily proud of every member of the DA who attended school this year. They each displayed exceptional courage and determination. They all paid a very heavy price in punishments and beatings for their efforts. We encourage the members of the press to talk to them and to tell their stories. There are many people who played a role in this war and we encourage you to ferret out their stories and tell them to the world. It is important that people know that tyranny and evil can be fought."

Polite applause followed the conclusion of Ron's statement. Grantham was intrigued; He found he was very interested in hearing the full story of the DA. He couldn't help but agree with Ron that there were many stories of resistance out there to be told and it was important for people to know that bad things can be actively resisted. Too many had remained passive during the war and this wasn't good for wizarding society.

Melanie was on her feet again. Grantham couldn't wait to find out everything he could from her.

"Miss Hermione Granger will now make a statement….Hermione."

Hermione was about to speak when, like Ron, she was stunned by all the flashes. She opened her mouth but nothing came out. Regaining her composure she began, "I would like to endorse everything that Ron has just said. We did what we had to do, but so many others have also played a major role in this war. Many have lost their lives. We couldn't have done what we did without the support of many people. We couldn't have done what we did if other people had not also been fighting this war. I'd like to make a special mention of Ron's family. Arthur and Molly Weasley and their seven children have been in this fight from the very beginning. Through their membership of the Order of the Phoenix and, for the youngest four members, the DA they each have been centrally involved. They all fought in the battle here. Most have fought in other engagements as well." Hermione paused and looked at Ron whose eyes were wide with surprise. She smiled before continuing. "Harry and I were both raised by Muggles. We had no idea that the wizarding world even existed till we turned eleven. The Weasley family has been an enormous support to both of us over many years. We are grateful for that and the massive contribution they have made to the war effort."

Hermione looked around the room. She suddenly appeared nervous and hesitant. She took a deep breath and started again. "It wasn't just witches and wizards that fought on our side at the battle of Hogwarts. House elves, centaurs and even a giant fought for us. We also received essential help in our task from goblins. As a muggle born I am sure that none of you would be surprised that I found the blood prejudice of the Voldemort's regime utterly repellent. We as a society need to ask ourselves a lot of deep questions in this area. Too many were happy to go along for the ride. I also believe that we need to address the deep prejudices that so many witches and wizards have against other magical species and the oppressive way we treat them. Until that is addressed we will never have a just society. We have a lot to be ashamed about when it comes to our relationships with other magical species. None of us has a clean slate in this area."

There was uneasy shuffling around the room. Grantham couldn't believe his luck. He had identified Granger as the weak link, and here she was shooting herself in the foot. He had planned to use questions on S.P.E.W. to paint Granger and her friends as radicals, perhaps even elf liberationists and marginalise their opinions as those of fringe dwellers. As a muggle born, people would accept her support for the muggle born cause though many would find it self-serving. Harsh criticism of the treatment of other species was another thing altogether. From a pureblood, it might be regarded as eccentric. Many would find it very affronting coming from a muggle born. If Granger persisted down this path she would do enormous damage to her reputation. Grantham would twist the knife later during the press conference.

It was Harry's turn to talk. He, like Ron and Hermione before him, looked nervous and uncomfortable. "I would like to endorse everything that Ron and Hermione have said. We did not fight this war alone and many people deserve credit. I would like to specifically endorse the things that Hermione has said. This war is won. However if we do not address the prejudices, the indifference to evil, the complacency that allowed Voldemort to come to power we will eventually find ourselves fighting a new war. The next time we may not win. I don't want to mince words here. You as members of the press have a lot of questions you need to ask yourselves. Too many of you went along for the ride when the Ministry under Fudge continued to deny that Voldemort had returned. You alone can answer whether you had alternatives to cooperating with Voldemort's regime when he finally took over. I know some of you defied him, at least for a while. All the same the press as a whole failed in its obligation to the community you serve and a terrible price was paid. You must all look at that." The press corps looked distinctly uncomfortable, unwilling to look Harry in the eye. "You now have to ask yourselves what you are going to do to help prevent the next war, to prevent the next dangerous psychopath rising to power. That is the challenge Ron, Hermione and I lay at your feet. I hope you take it up."

Harry looked around the room, trying to establish eye contact with the various members of the press. One by one most of them grasped the straw he had thrown them. They looked Harry in the eye and began to think of the future. "Well done," thought Grantham, "what Granger lost you have regained."

Harry continued, "Before we start answering questions I would like to tell you a little about Ron and Hermione. Two finer friends a man couldn't have and they are every bit as responsible for the defeat of Voldemort as I am. I killed Voldemort in the final duel, but that was just the final step in a nine month mission that we undertook together. Actually it goes back longer than that. We three have been fighting Voldemort together since we were in year one here at Hogwarts, since we were 11."

Grantham raised his eyebrows at this last; perhaps this had something to do with the story about the triple headed dogs. He would find out later.

"Hermione Granger is an extraordinary human being. She is a very powerful witch and is widely regarded as the brightest student to attend Hogwarts in many years. Despite her intellect she was sorted into Gryffindor which tells you a lot about her courage. Her quick thinking and skill has saved Ron and my hides and this mission many times. She is also very compassionate and possessed of a fierce sense of justice." Harry halted. He was trying to control his emotions. He took a deep breath and resumed, "it makes me very angry that there are witches and wizards, witches and wizards who aren't worth Hermione's shoelaces, who think she is not worthy of a full place in wizarding society just because her parents were muggles. Hermione has paid a heavy price for that prejudice as did my mother who was also muggle born. Do not expect any respect or tolerance from me or Ron if you share those prejudices, if you do not actively oppose them."

"I am deeply privileged to be able to call Ron Weasley my friend. He has been my strongest support for many years. There is no wizard I would rather face danger with than Ron. He is fiercely protective of all those he cares about and brings his considerable strength, power and cunning to the task. His sense of humour and irreverence has kept our spirits up in the darkest times. Hermione and I, well, we can both get over focused on a task. It is Ron who can drag us back and give us much needed perspective. Ron too has saved my life during this mission as he has Hermione's."

"Neither Ron or Hermione needed to take on this mission. They would have been far safer if they had stayed at home or fled the country. The both knew that the likeliest outcome of this mission was that one or all three of us would end up dead. They came anyway. I could not have done this without them and I will be eternally grateful to them. …Ok that is all I wanted to say."

"OK time for questions," said Melanie, "yes you there, with the pink cravat."

"Douglas Douglas, _Glasgow Gleaner. _I believe I speak for everyone here when I say we all owe you three a great debt of gratitude. In my 23 years as a journalist I have rarely come across a more amazing story." This was met with a wave of applause. "My question is for Mr Potter. You now possess the Elder Wand, reputed to be the most powerful in the world. What do you intend to do with it?"

Harry reached into his leg pocket and withdrew the wand. "This is the Elder Wand." There was sudden quiet, even an element of fear in the room. "I don't want it…. It is my intention to hand it over to the Minister of Magic for the purpose of investigations into the crimes committed by Voldemort. When that is complete I intend to destroy it in public. I do not want to spend the next seventy years of my life looking over my shoulder for the next hot shot wizard who wants to kill me to take possession of it. This wand has a history of betraying its owners to their death." Ron and Hermione were both looking at Harry with surprise. There were gasps around the room.

"Surely you can't destroy such an important historical artefact?" continued Douglas Douglas, sounding a little outraged.

"I can and I will. I don't want it and I don't want to give it to anyone else even if that is possible. That sort of power corrupts and I don't want that for myself or anyone else. More often than not this wand ends up in the hands of very dark wizards. It was from Grindelwald that Voldemort learnt the location of the Elder Wand. It was Grindelwald himself who owned the wand during his reign of terror. Time to call an end to it." Harry finished emphatically.

"Mitch Wildes _Salem Howler._ Harry, Voldemort thought you were dead. He marched back to the castle with what he clearly thought was your dead body. There is nothing in the Press release that explains how that came about. Would you like to enlighten us?"

"I'm sorry Mitch, but I have been asked not to talk about that just now. It would jeopardize an ongoing operation. In the not too distant future I should be able to give you a full explanation of what happened." Harry looked distinctly uncomfortable as he said this.

Melanie next called a young witch in the third row.

"Paula Prescott from the_ Sydney Morning Soothsayer._ The press release lists six horcruxes with the first being destroyed by you Harry when, if my calculations are correct, you were still only in second year. Could you tell us about this?"

Harry demurred to Hermione who succinctly told the story of the diary and the Chamber of Secrets. When she had finished Harry added, "That was the second time we three had combined to thwart Voldemort's return to full physical form."

No one said anything for some time. They were all too busy reassessing the three teenagers sitting in front of them. It was hard enough to believe what they had done as 17 year olds, but this as 12 year olds? Eventually someone spoke, "can you verify that story?"

"Well," replied Ron, "you can ask Professor McGonagall or any of the other teachers who were here at the time. If Gilderoy Lockhart ever regains his memories you can ask him too. As for the Acromantulas, you'll have to take our word."

Hands shot up all over the room with journalists eager to ask follow up questions. Melanie called on Rita Skeeter.

"Rita Skeeter, author and senior correspondent for the _Daily Prophet_, but of course you know that."

Grantham watched with curiosity as Granger took out a glass jar, placed it in front of Potter and snapped closed the lid. He was surprised when Skeeters voice failed when she next tried to speak, only able to emit a high pitched squeak. The three teenagers all smirked. Very curious! At last Rita found her voice and her venom.

"It seems to me that Dumbledore left you three woefully underprepared for the mission he gave you. Did you ever think that Dumbledore had left you in the lurch and that he either didn't know what he was doing or was playing you for a fool?"

Harry appeared angry, but he quickly reined it in. He took his time before responding. "I went into this mission with a child's understanding of Professor Dumbledore and came out with a man's. I hate to admit it but your book, even though you misinterpret most of the facts you had, played a part in that re-evaluation. I had to come to terms with the fact that even great and good men have flaws. And yes there were definitely times when we felt abandoned and questioned why Dumbledore hadn't given us more information. We often felt out of our depth, felt as if we were floundering. We kept on going, though. Dumbledore in his wisdom knew that some knowledge has to be earned before you can use its power and that we three had to develop greater strength before we could successfully complete our mission. He set us on a course where we could earn that knowledge and build that strength. I do sometimes feel just a little manipulated by Dumbledore but, as I say, I now have a man's understanding of him. Let there be no mistake, without Dumbledore, his brilliance and compassion, Voldemort would still be in power. It was he who worked out what Voldemort had done to secure his power and who worked out how to defeat him. In some ways, we three were just his instrument."

Many questions followed going into the detail of the mission. The trio answered as succinctly as they could. Melanie then called on a beefy looking man sitting in the front row.

"Aneurin Laugharne, the Welsh Dragon. It says in the press release that when you were held at Malfoy Manor, Miss Granger was 'intensively interrogated'. Is that a euphemism for something far worse?"

Both Ron and Hermione turned pale. Ron took hold of Hermione's hand in a way that suggested both comfort and support. It was clear they didn't want to discuss this in front of strangers. Harry looked at his two friends with understanding and answered for them. "Yes it is. Anyone who knows anything about Bellatrix Lestrange will know precisely what 'intensively interrogated' means. That was a traumatic experience for all three of us and I hope you will understand we do not wish to discuss this at this time. I hope you can respect that."

Melanie noticed that Luna, who standing along the side with the DA, had her hand in the air. She had on a big yellow hat that looked like an oversized top hat. A large card was stuck in the brim that read _Press_. Melanie smiled and called on Luna.

"Luna Lovegood, the Quibbler. I have two questions really," said Luna in her dreamlike voice. "Firstly, did you come across any strange or rare creatures on your travels? Secondly what do you plan to do in the future?"

The three visibly relaxed when they heard Luna's questions. They had clearly been afraid of something she might have asked. Potter answered with a broad smile.

"I'm sorry Luna; we didn't come across anything particularly exotic, unless you include the half blind dragon we found in Gringott's basement." Chuckles filled the room. Harry continued, "I regret to say we didn't come across a Crumple-Horned Snorkack though of course it would be strange to find one in Britain. As for your second question, I don't think we've had enough time to think about that yet Luna."

Ron added "We are just beginning to come to terms with the fact that we actually now have a future. For so long now we haven't been able to think of anything beyond just finishing the mission. Surviving it seemed so unlikely at times." This sent chills through the room.

"Cantilena Misslethorpe, _Witch Weekly._ Mr Potter…. Harry, it has been widely reported in the past that you and Miss Granger were in a romantic relationship. However, Miss Granger and Mr Weasley have been seen arm in arm since the battle and I quote an eye witness 'they only have eyes for one another'. Has there been tension between yourself and Mr Weasley during this mission on account of Miss Granger and how did you cope with this."

Ron and Hermione turned various shades of red. Harry looked very annoyed. "That question is out of order," Harry blurted, "….but I will answer it anyway …. Despite reports to the contrary," he glared straight at Skeeter as he said this, "there has never been a romantic relationship between me and Hermione. She is, along with Ron, my closest friend. We have been through so much together and I love her deeply, but as a man loves his sister. As for Ron and Hermione, that is not for me to say. What I will say is that during the last nine months they put any relationship they might have on hold for the sake of the mission. It is one more sacrifice that these two have made."

Cantilena pressed on. Addressing Ron and Hermione she said, "Is it true? Are you two in a relationship?" By now both Ron and Hermione were as red as beetroots. Eventually Ron just shrugged, reached for Hermione's hand, and said simply, "Yes." He then turned towards her.

Hermione turned to Ron and smiled, nervously at first. She added to Ron's statement, "Yes it's true." Seemingly oblivious to everyone else, their smiles broadened and they leaned in and kissed each other, highlighted by a wave of flashes. They quickly broke apart and turned back to face the press, still slightly red and looking a little sheepish.

Well, thought Grantham, smiling to himself, I bet a photo of that kiss will be on the front page of every wizarding newspaper around the world tomorrow.

"Giovanni Veronese _Venetia Civetta._ I would like to ask about a report you three spent several weeks in a Veela colony in Italy. Is this true and where in Italy is this colony?"

"Why, are you planning on visiting it?" chipped in Ron occasioning much laughter.

Harry answered the question. "Like many reports in the _Prophet_, this story has no basis in fact. We never even left Britain. Nor did I recruit any vampires. The _Prophet_ really does need to have a good hard look at itself. The story about the Veelas gave us all a great laugh, although it did get me in trouble with my girlfriend." Harry appeared to regret this last the moment he had said it.

Cantilena Misslethorpe from _Witch Weekly_ jumped straight back in. "And who is that girlfriend, Harry. Would I be correct in saying that it is Miss Ginny Weasley, Ron's baby sister?"

It was Harry and Ginny's turn to go red in the face. "I'd be careful who I called a baby if I were you. Ginny led the resistance here at Hogwarts last year. She is no longer a child. More important she has a very powerful bat bogey hex so be warned. But yes, Ginny is my girlfriend. I am a very lucky man."

Ginny looked both pleased and embarrassed. She was soon dazzled by flashlight.

"Charlie Chivers, _Daily Prophet._ I have been hearing some strange stories that in your first year here you three prevented the Dark Lord from returning in full bodily form, fighting giant triple headed dogs and life size magical chess pieces along the way. I have to say I gave no credence to the story but after everything else I have heard today I have begun to wonder. In the interest of accurate reporting at the _Prophet_ could you confirm or deny this story?"

"Well, it was only one dog called _Fluffy_," said Ron. Everyone collapsed in laughter. When things quieted down Ron continued. "Mind you _Fluffy_ did have three heads each about a meter high each full of very sharp teeth." He then handed over to Hermione who told the story giving special emphasis to Ron's chess game and self-sacrifice. Harry chipped in, giving the details of Hermione's contribution that she had been too modest to mention.

Grantham was flabbergasted. Who are these kids? Every time he thought he had their measure he learned something new that absolutely astounded him. He had put Charlie Chivers up to asking the question expecting one more legend about the trio to be punctured, but the truth was even more amazing than the legend. Well in for a Knut in for a Sickle. He raised his hand.

Melanie said "we have time for one more question. Oliver."

"Oliver Grantham, _Magical Law Gazette_. My question is to Miss Granger. I understand that in your fourth year at Hogwarts you founded an organisation called S.P.E.W. or the Society for the Promotion of Elfish Welfare. I am told that Mr Potter was secretary and Mr Weasley was treasurer. Apparently Neville Longbottom was also a member. Can you tell me what the purpose of the organisation was and where you intend to go from here?"

Hermione looked stunned and then studied him very carefully, weighing up her answer. Grantham began to worry that he had shown his hand too soon. Too late to worry now.

'My, we have done our research haven't we? I believe you have ferreted out the only four people in the world to ever join S.P.E.W. Ron, Harry and Neville only joined because they were my friends and, I think more importantly, because they thought I would stop pestering them if they did. I'm told I can be very insistent." Everyone laughed. "Much to my annoyance, none of them actually did anything as members."

"I started S.P.E.W. after I witnessed some very cruel and devastating treatment of a house elf when I was at the last Quidditch World Cup. S.P.E.W was the response of a 14 year old girl to that cruelty. I will admit I had a very naive view of house elves at that time. The only house elf I knew was Dobby, a free elf who I now understand was a very unusual elf. Dobby died just three weeks ago, rescuing us of his own free will from the horror at Malfoy Manor. He will always have a special place in our hearts. The issue of house elves is complex, but I believe that not a few suffer injustice and cruelty. It is my intention to do my small bit in the future to help alleviate that."

Grantham felt chastened. His attack, if it hadn't actually backfired, had at least fallen flat. Her response was a tour de force. It struck just the right emotional tone; it came across as balanced but didn't retreat from a principled stand. The contrast with her opening statement couldn't have been starker. The girl learnt very quickly, she really must be as bright as they say. He just hoped that Granger didn't realise that the question actually was an attack. He was not ready yet to come out in the open as an enemy. He was even beginning to wonder whether he even really wanted to be the enemy of these three remarkable people. There were certainly some issues on which they could be allies.

Reeling from all he had learnt to day and feeling uncharacteristically uncertain about his next steps, Grantham sat quietly as the press conference wound up.

Melanie quickly hustled Harry, Ron and Hermione out of the room by, accompanied by Ginny, George and loud applause from the assembled press. Arthur, Molly and Percy, who had been sitting at the rear of the room, joined them.

Most of the DA remained behind and were soon swamped by the press.

Grantham quietly left the room knowing that today something had changed. He just wasn't sure what.


	9. Return to the Burrow

Chapter 9: Return to the Burrow

"You two!" chided Ron, "what happened to the opening statements we agreed on before the press conference? You both did a fair bit of ad-libbing."

"I only added the bit about your family, Ron," pouted Hermione. Harry, Ron and Hermione together with Ginny were all headed to Hagrid's hut. "You didn't really expect me to show that bit to you beforehand did you?"

"And I was hardly going to show you what I was going to say about you two, was I? It was hard enough lying to the press about how wonderful you guys are as it was," joked Harry.

This earned Harry a mock punch in the arm from Hermione. "What you said was beautiful Harry. Thank you, I was very touched."

"Yeah, same here mate."

"Actually, all three of you did brilliantly," chipped in Ginny. "The only problem is that I haven't told Mum and Dad much about what happened here at Hogwarts this year. I didn't want them to worry or pull me out. I even made sure they didn't get the fake Hogwarts letter. Now they're going to want to know all about it. They're going to be angry. So will Bill, probably."

"They're not going to be angry, Ginny. Not for long anyway. They're going to be very proud of you, just as I am little sis."

"Hey, I thought you were too scared to call me _little_ sister?"

"That was what we seasoned media performers call comic relief."

"Hah, you better back me up when I tell Mum and Dad about Hogwarts or you'll see what a Bat Bogey Hex can add to comic relief."

"Don't worry, Ginny," said Harry chuckling, "we'll all back you up."

They had arrived at Hagrid's hut. Smoke was coming from the chimney and there was loud clanging coming from inside. Harry bashed on the front door.

"Harry, Ron, Hermione, yeh're come ter see me. An' brave Ginny too," said Hagrid after he'd opened the door.

"Hi Hagrid, how are you doing?" asked Harry.

"Better now yeh're alive and You Know Who is dead," said Hagrid, a deep frown forming on his forehead. "Bes' come in then, I 'spose. It's a bit of a mess, mind. They made a right mess in here while me an' fang were gone."

The four entered the hut and managed to clear some seats.

"I'm sorry I had to put you through that Hagrid," said Harry.

"Yeah, well I 'spose yeh knew what yeh were doin' seen yeh alive an' all. But Harry I don' think I ever fel' worse in me life, an' that includes when me pa died." Hagrid got out his huge tablecloth sized handkerchief and loudly blew his nose. "Harry, tha' was the longest walk in me life tha' was, carrying your body back to the castle. I never want to do anything like tha' again." Hagrid had fat tears in the corner of his eyes.

"I'm sorry Hagrid, I really am. I know I hurt a lot of people doing that, especially the four of you here. I had to do it." Harry explained briefly to Hagrid about the horcruxes and what He, Ron and Hermione had been doing. He told him the true story of why he had given himself up to Voldemort and what had happened when he was hit with the killing curse.

Tears were streaming down Hagrid's face when Harry had finished. He blew his nose once more.

"Yer shouldn'ta had to do it, Harry. Dumbledore shouldn'ta asked yer to do it. He shouldn'ta asked. Tha' was wrong."

"He didn't have a choice, Hagrid," pleaded Harry.

"Tha's always a choice, Harry. Dumbledore were a great man an' I won't hear a word spoke against him. But Harry, he were still just a man. He had his faults. He could use people if he ha' to."

"It was my choice in the end Hagrid."

"Yer a better man than Dumbledore in many ways, Harry, but yer shouldn'ta had to do it."

Harry looked into Hagrid's eye's, seeing the respect and love and plain truthfulness there. A wall inside him broke. He finally had permission to feel his anger and pain at the burden that had been placed on him, anger at the unfairness of it. He had permission to experience the horror of his decision to die, of his lonely walk into the forest and his unnatural acceptance of Voldemort's killing curse. His body was racked by sobs. He remembered how he had been willing to leave Ron and Hermione, how he had walked past Ginny and was ready to give away any hope of a future with her. He thought of all the things so precious to him now that he had been ready to give away. He sobbed for about ten minutes, both Ginny and Hermione holding him tightly. He felt the pain and the horror slowly ebbing away.

When he finished he felt as if a dark fog had lifted from his soul. He looked up to see Hagrid and his friends watching him with concern. He felt such happiness that he was still alive and that these wonderful people were still with him and would be in the future he could now look forward to.

All he could say was "thanks," as he looked at each of them with a smile of utter gratitude.

"Better out than in, I always say," Hagrid remarked.

They all cracked up laughing.

They talked for a while about happier things, happier days. After a little while, Ron stood up. "We'd better be getting back. Mum and Dad will be waiting for us."

"Don' be making strangers of yourselves now," said Hagrid.

"Course not!" they all replied

Hagrid gave each of them a bone crushing hug as they left to return to the castle.

When they got back Arthur was waiting at the main entrance together with Molly, Percy and George.

"Ah, there you are," said Arthur. "We've got the OK to return to the Burrow. You all ready to go?"

Hermione held up her beaded bag, "I've got everything I need right here."

"Not quiet," said Ron and he took Hermione's hand in his. "Now you've got everything." Hermione smiled.

"OK, let's go home," sighed Arthur. He took Molly by the arm and headed off. They were followed by Ron and Hermione, Harry and Ginny, also hand in hand, and Percy and George. George grabbed Percy's hand and said, "We shouldn't be left out."

Percy chuckled, but then he took his hand back and replied, "I'm sorry George, but I like my girls with both their ears." They all laughed. Percy put his arm around his brother's shoulder as they all walked together towards the gates.

When they had apparated back to the Burrow they were met by Bill, Fleur and Charlie.

"The house is fine," said Bill. "They didn't get in. They left some very nasty curses and booby traps though. I've gotten rid of those and we've strengthened the wards."

"Thanks son," said Arthur. "How's the house?"

"Fleur's restocked the kitchen and we've given the house a quick clean. We still have to get the Ghoul out of Ron's room. He is very reluctant to go. The gnomes have taken over the garden too."

"Crookshanks 'as been 'aving a field day chasing them since I got 'im from Aunt Muriel's," added Fleur with a big smile.

"Crookshanks!" shrieked Hermione. "Thanks Fleur." With that a large ginger ball dashed across the yard and launched itself into Hermione's arms, almost knocking her backwards. "Oh Crookshanks," Hermione cooed too her cat, looking utterly ecstatic, "I've missed you so much."

"Who's a handsome boy then," said Ron reaching out to pat the cat. Crookshanks arched his back and puffed out his tail. He hissed loudly at Ron.

"Hey, I'm trying to play nice," complained Ron.

"Crookshanks!" admonished Hermione. "Ron is with me now. You have to be nice."

Crookshanks ignored Ron, curled up in Hermione's arms and began to purr. Ron shrugged.

"Let's get inside," said Molly.

As they entered the living room they became aware of a delicious aroma coming from the kitchen.

"What's that cooking?" asked Molly.

"Daube de Boeuf," answered Fleur. "I 'ope you do not mind, Molly. I did not know if you would feel up to cooking tonight."

"That was very thoughtful of you Fleur," said Molly feeling a little annoyed. She wasn't a cripple. All annoyance fled when she noticed George, who was staring in horror at the family clock. For the first time in a year none of the hands were pointing to 'Mortal Peril'. All hands were pointing to 'Home', all except one. Fred's hand was pointing to a new section that had appeared on the clock that said simply 'Gone'. Everyone felt as if a giant fist had slammed them in the gut. The thin veil that the busyness of the last day had placed between them and the reality of Fred's death was ripped away.

George collapsed into the sofa. He hadn't cried for his brother yet, not really, only a few tears. Now it all came pouring out. He broke down completely, his body shook with great heaving sobs.

"Fred, what have you done? What have you done?" he whispered to himself repeatedly and he shook his head from side to side. Ginny sat down beside him and held him tightly, trying without a great deal of success to hold back her own tears. Every now and again she would glance back at the clock and break down herself.

Molly felt her own leg's buckle as she saw the clock. She half fell, was half assisted into the other sofa by Arthur who sat down beside her. He was trying hard to stay strong for everyone else, but his face was a study in absolute misery.

Hermione and Fleur gave what comfort they could to their partners, holding them tightly. Charlie, Percy and Harry all stood quietly, each alone in the own silent misery. Eventually everyone found a seat, and then complete quiet descended over the Burrow. It stayed that way for quite some time.

"Fred would hate this quiet," said George looking at the floor.

"He'd tell a joke or pull a gag just to get us all to cheer up," added Ginny.

"I think I'd even be happy if he turned this cushion into a spider, if he was just here to do it….Just don't get any ideas, George," said Ron.

George smiled weakly.

"Tell me about when you and Fred left Hogwarts, I here that was one of your finest hours," asked Charlie.

"You're talking a true Hogwarts legend there, Charlie, it was absolutely brilliant … and just what the school needed," supplied Ron.

"It was the beginning of the end of Umbridge," added Harry.

"It started on the day Umbridge became Headmaster with the most brilliant fireworks display I've ever seen," said Hermione, "though calling it a display is lame. An act of war would be more accurate. All day the most gorgeous fireworks stalked the corridors. The teachers refused to help Umbridge claiming they didn't have the authority or the skill. She spent her first day running around the school trying to end the mayhem. Idiot that she is, everything she tried made things worse. It was glorious!"

"There you have it, the ultimate accolade, mayhem that won the admiration of Hermione the prefect," smirked Ron. "She was even inspired to skive off homework that night!"

Everyone laughed and Hermione punched Ron in the arm.

Ginny, Harry and Ron continued the story bringing laughter to the room. Ginny finished with the story of the swamp. "Part of the swamp is still there, left as a tribute to the two of you by Flitwick. The swamp became a bit of a shrine to the DA at school this year. What you did was the first open act of resistance in this war. It reminded me I was acting in a great tradition started by my own brothers."

They swapped their favourite stories about Fred for the next hour. The mood lightened considerably. The pain was still there but they had shared it as a family and it had become bearable. It became harder and harder, though, not to notice that every story about Fred was also a story about George. They hadn't just lost Fred; they had lost 'Fred and George'. They would need to be there for George, for Molly and for each other in the days and months ahead. In the end there was nothing more that could be done.

Fleur announced dinner was ready. No one had noticed her get up to finish its preparation. Molly looked up at her daughter in law with gratitude. Like George, she hadn't said anything during the last hour; she had just let the stories wash over her, basking in the warmth of her family. Most of what she had heard would have scandalised her if she had heard it just three days earlier. Today, though, she found herself both amused and accepting. "Thank you Fleur, that is very kind of you," she said and she meant it.

"Is nothing," replied Fleur.

Talk at dinner mainly revolved about practical issues, though not much was said. About halfway through Arthur spoke gently but firmly.

"Ginny, I've been hearing bits and pieces about what's been going at Hogwarts this year; things we didn't hear from you. Would you like to tell your family what really happened."

Ginny went pale. Harry reached and held her hand. "OK," she replied in a quiet voice, "after dinner OK?" It's a long story and like last night it isn't particularly pretty."

It was Molly's turn to turn pale. It was Arthur's turn to comfort his partner.

"We heard what Ginny has been doing at the DA briefing this morning. I wish she didn't have to go through what she did, I wish none of us did, but I am very proud of her, very!" said Ron.

"I'm very proud of you too Ginny," added George. "When you said that you and the DA gained some inspiration from our swamp, from what Fred and I had done; that was the highest compliment either of us have ever been paid." There was a small tear in the corner of his eye.

Ginny too had a tear in her eye. Arthur added, "Ginny we never doubted you would do us proud. We just need to know, OK?"

"OK."

After dinner they all regrouped in the sitting room. Ginny sat on a sofa with Harry on one side and George on the other. She took them through the entire story as it was told at the DA briefing that morning. They were in turn upset, amazed, angered and sickened.

When she told them about confronting Alecto in muggle studies, even provoking her, Bill was angry.

"You shouldn't have done that Ginny. You shouldn't have gone looking for trouble like that, that was stupid."

"No it wasn't Bill. It was necessary," replied Ginny defiantly. "This war happened because too many people were willing to turn a blind eye, to take the easy path. They let Voldemort come back to power and went along with him when he did. This family has never been like that. We always stood up for what we believed in."

"Ginny you're too young, you shouldn't have had to take up the fight," Bill pressed.

"Yeah, well, there's a lot of that too young stuff been happening lately," she said, waving at Harry, Ron and Hermione. "I had to do it because I was the one who could. I was the one who was there. None of us wanted to do what we did. We did it because if we didn't, no one else would."

"OK Ginny, OK," Bill surrendered. "I'm just upset that you had to go through this, angry that you were hurt. You're my baby sister. I'm supposed to protect you. It seems the youngest members of this family had to take on the greatest burden in this war. It's not right."

"Say's he with vivid werewolf scars across his face," replied Ginny.

"I'm not happy that Ginny got hurt this year either or that she had to do what she did. I am damn proud of her though," said Harry. "She's right too. Alecto had to be fought. What Ginny did not only helped win this war, it will help win the next war too. If we don't fight the beliefs, the complacency that allowed Voldemort to come to power we will have to do it all again. Then it will be _our_ children paying the price."

When Ginny had finished the story, her mum stood up and gestured for Ginny to come over. She pulled Ginny into a great hug. She held her for some time fighting tears mumbling "My poor Ginny, you should have told us Ginny, my poor Ginny."

"It's OK Mum, It's over now."

Arthur took Ginny by the shoulders looking her straight in the eye. "You should have told us,"

"Would you have taken me out of school?"

"Yes."

"That's why I didn't tell you. It wouldn't have been fair to the rest of the family. You could have gone to Azkaban. It wouldn't have been fair to those still left at school. It was my fight, my responsibility."

"I am so, so proud of you, Ginny." He pulled her into a tight hug. "I am proud of each and every one of you. You have the proudest father in all England. That goes for you too Fleur. I'm proud to have you as part of our family."

Fleur almost ran to Arthur who hugged her tightly.

"You don't need to be proud of me Father," said Percy. "I didn't do anything."

"Percy, dear, you came through when it counted," insisted Molly.

"Finally joining the right side in the last few hours of a war, no Mother, it just a bit too much like a death bed confession," replied Percy. "I'm not proud of myself."

"Then help win the next war, Percy. Help stop it from happening," offered Harry.

"What do you mean, Harry?"

"It's like I said before. It's like what Hermione and I said at our press conference today; if we don't change the values and attitudes that allowed Voldemort to come to power, to flourish, then sooner or later there will be a new Voldemort."

"It's what I want to do when I leave school. Join the ministry and work for reform," added Hermione. "You're an intelligent man, Percy, a brilliant administrator. You can do a lot of good. Winning the peace will be a lot harder than winning the war. It will be the harder struggle."

"Do this, Percy," Ron continued, "and you can regain your pride in yourself. Pride, by the way, your family still has in you. I know how hard it is to admit you made a mistake and rectify it; it took more than physical courage to join us for the battle, Percy."

"OK," said Percy "OK" looking like a drowning man desperately grateful for a thrown lifeline. "I can go with that. I can commit to that."

"That's something I can commit to too," added Bill, "working, each in our own way for greater justice and a more secure peace."

"Me too," chipped in Charlie.

Soon the whole room had voiced their assent.

Charlie conjured a bottle of fire whiskey and some glasses. Full glasses floated to everyone in the room.

"To the harder struggle!" Charlie lifted his glass.

"To the harder struggle," they all toasted.

"Mind you," Charlie added, "it's all a bit nebulous."

"We need to have a lot of discussion about aims and we don't have to all agree on everything; we almost certainly won't. We also have to look at how we can achieve those aims," explained Hermione. "Fortunately we don't have to do it tonight and we don't have to do it alone. The war was like a sprint. This will be like a marathon."

"Sounds like a plan," said Ron, smiling at Hermione.

"Something Kingsley said when he was talking to us about the press conference got me thinking," Hermione continued. "The Weasley family will soon be among the most famous in wizarding Britain. We will have considerable prestige. So will many of our friends – like Neville. We can use that to help achieve some real improvements or we can just let it fade away. It's up to us."

Everyone noticed Hermione's inclusion of herself as a member of the Weasley family. They could hardly object as they had all told her just yesterday that that is what she was. Indeed they were pleased. All the same, they found themselves wondering if Hermione meant something else as well by this usage.

Arthur looked at his wife who was clearly worn out. "It's been a long day. We should call it quits."

"We need to get the ghoul out of Ron's room," said Bill.

"I forgot about that. The room is still going to stink for hours," said Ron.

"Charlie is coming back with Fleur and me to Shell Cottage," said Bill. "You and Harry can sleep in our room tonight." Bill watched the four youngest to see their reaction to this arrangement. He was wondering if they had plans for something else. He wasn't sure how he felt about it if they did. In the event they all seemed happy to go along with the plan.

Bill, Charley, Ron and Harry all trooped up the stairs to evict the family ghoul. Charlie's experience wrangling dragons came in handy. The ghoul definitely didn't want to go. Eventually after much banging of walls and rattling of beds, they got the ghoul back into the attic. Ron's room stank. After many _scourgifies_, a few _tergeos_ and not a few freshening charms the stink was more manageable but it was still noxious. The only thing for it was to open the window, close the door and let the room clear overnight.

They all returned to the living room. Molly and Arthur had already left for bed. Percy was saying to George, "would you like to sleep in my room tonight."

George looked pained. "Thanks Percy, but no. I have to face it and there's no point putting it off. It's not going to get easier. I'll be OK."

Bill said, "We'll be off. We'll come back tomorrow morning for breakfast." With that, Bill, Fleur and Charlie left.

George stood up saying "I've had enough for the day. Good night."

Percy did the same, following George out of the room no doubt intent on ensuring he was OK.

That left Harry and Ginny, Ron and Hermione. Each couple was on their own sofa, hand in hand. Ron and Hermione were looking at each other, but they weren't smiling. A series of expressions flitted across their faces; raised eyebrows, questioning looks, rolled eyes and many others strange and unfathomable. Ginny was watching them totally perplexed. Harry knew precisely what they were doing. They were having one of their silent conversations. Harry swore that Ron and Hermione could communicate the entire contents of the _Wizard's Almanac_ to each other without using words.

"Usually when you two do that you're discussing whether I've really cracked up this time." said Harry interrupting Ron and Hermione's conversation.

"Not this time, Harry," replied Ron. He turned briefly back to Hermione and they reached a quick decision.

"We were going to talk to you each separately about something tonight, but seen as we're altogether and alone we may as well do it now," said Ron.

"Talk to us about what?" asked Ginny.

"Hermione and I want to share a room together. I'm going to talk to Dad about it tomorrow."

"Mum will go ballistic!" said Ginny.

"Maybe yes, maybe no. In any case, if they say no we intend to leave the Burrow after all the funerals and that. We've decided that it's up to us how things go between us now, no one else."

"Wow," said Ginny.

"Where would you go if you left here?" asked Harry very business-like. He wasn't sure how he felt about this.

"We were hoping you'd let us stay at Grimmauld Place for a while. But Harry, we don't want to leave here if we don't have to," said Hermione.

"Of course," replied Harry absently. After a while he added with just a hint of annoyance, "This has implications for Ginny and me, you know."

"Why Harry Potter, I do believe you are shocked," smiled Hermione.

"Maybe I am. I don't know why though. It's not as if I didn't see this coming."

"Everything is changing so fast. It's normal. You're not going to lose us. That's never going to happen," Hermione reassured Harry.

"It's not going to be the same, though."

"No, it's not going to be the same. There are four of us now and we're two couples."

"Much as I find your taste in men strange, Hermione, I think it's wonderful," said Ginny.

"How were you planning on making this work? Where is everyone supposed to sleep now?" asked Harry, ignoring Ginny.

"Well Charlie is staying with Bill and Fleur, Hermione and I could move into Bill and Charlie's room. You could have my room Harry," explained Ron.

"Or Harry could have Bill and Charlie's room," Ginny jumped in.

This is what Ron and Hermione had always intended. Bill and Charlie's room was on the first floor just across the stairwell from Ginny's. An arrangement like this could work for everyone, even Ron's parents. Ron had thought that even if they agreed to him and Hermione sharing a room they were in no way ready to let Harry and Ginny share a room. Ron wasn't either. This was a compromise that could work.

"That could work, I spose," replied Ron feigning reluctance "Although my room is a little small for the two of us."

"Hah!" retorted Ginny, "you're only going to need one bed."

"Ginny!" Hermione was turning red. She knew her protest was silly. Of course they intended to share a bed. Hermione was just uncomfortable with it being said out aloud.

"Now who's shocked," laughed Harry. "Look, I actually think it's brilliant. As I said to you both, Merlin was it only yesterday, you two deserve all the happiness you can get."

"So do you two," replied Hermione.

Later that night in Ginny's room, Hermione looked over at Ginny.

"You awake, Ginny?"

"Yeah."

"He's not ready yet."

"I know."

"He's not ready to take on the responsibility. He's been carrying so much for so long, it's been crushing him. He needs to keep it light for a while, to get back to normal, well as normal as Harry is ever going to be."

"I know, I know, but what about me?"

"You're time will come Ginny, he loves you very much. He will make it his job to make you happy. You have to know, though Ginny, that if you take on Harry Potter you are taking on someone who will always need to save the world. He will always feel the pain because he can't save everyone. It's not easy. Ron and I have been doing it for years. He's worth it though."

"Yeah, he is. Now shut it. I need to go to sleep and dream of Harry sleeping just across the stairwell."

"_And I have to dream about tomorrow night,_" thought Hermione.


	10. Lifebond

Chapter 10: Lifebond

"Ah," said Ginny to Ron as he emerged for breakfast, "We were just telling Hermione what a wonderful picture you two take." Ginny was grinning maliciously from ear to ear as were most her siblings. Hermione, though, was sitting at the breakfast table looking thoroughly embarrassed.

"Apparently a lot of people think so too," continued Ginny. "There's a picture of you two ah 'communicating' plastered across the front page of every wizarding newspaper in the world."

"Don't exaggerate Ginny!" retorted Hermione.

"Who's exaggerating? If it's in every paper we've seen it's probably in all the rest too."

Hermione winced.

"What are you talking about?" asked Ron. As he approached the table he saw copies of five different newspapers. On the front page of each was a large picture of he and Hermione kissing at yesterday's press conference.

"Bleeding hell," muttered Ron, "I thought they'd have Harry's picture on the front page."

"Nah, I'm yesterday's news," said Harry laughing. "You two are far more interesting."

Ron went around the table and sat next to Hermione. He gave her a big hug and then a kiss. "Well I hope they described you as 'stunningly pretty' like the first time you got into the newspapers. Then we'd know they took Harry's comments about accurate reporting seriously."

"Oh my God, Hermione," gagged Ginny, "what have you done with my brother. You've made him all soppy."

"I think he's cute," smiled Hermione and she gave Ron a big kiss.

"So how did we get all these papers?" asked Ron, trying hard to ignore the byplay between Ginny and Hermione.

"We've been sent complimentary copies, including two from Europe. I suspect we'll get more from further afield as the day wears on," explained Percy.

"So what else is in the papers apart from our celebrity couple?" asked Harry.

"Oh you and Ginny get your fair share of attention too. You're just lucky they don't have a good photo of you two together yet," teased Charlie. "They certainly want to remedy that though. There's a bunch of photographers waiting just outside the wards. They even photographed us boring older Weasleys as we came in this morning."

" 'oose boring? Speak for yourself, Charlie," protested Fleur. "Zere is even a story and a photo of me in _Le Monde Magique – z_e French Weasley."

"And stunningly pretty too," added Bill, with a wink and a smile.

"Naturellement," replied Fleur with a slight hint of self-mockery. She gave her husband a lingering kiss. She'd show these teenagers how it was done, thought the 20 year old Fleur.

"You're press conference is the lead story in every paper. Even the foreign papers devote pages to the war. The DA gets a good run too," said Percy. "The _Daily Prophet_ has a 10 page spread. They printed your press release and a transcript of the conference in full."

Harry and Ron read the newspapers as they had breakfast. Hermione had a go at _Le Monde Magique _with a little help from Fleur. She found it harder and harder to concentrate though. She frequently looked up at Ron with increasing nervousness.

Finally Ron asked, "Where's Mum and Dad?"

"Mum hasn't got up yet," said Ginny with a touch of concern. "George hasn't either. I think Dad's in the garage." She smirked a little as she said this last.

Ron got up slowly. "I might see how he's going," he said trying to sound casual and failing miserably. His older siblings watched him with curiosity as he left. Hermione looked very tense, just like she did before exams, but only Harry and Fleur noticed.

Ron entered the garage to see his father staring at the pieces of an old turntable he had disassembled. He looked as if he hadn't moved for a long time. Ron made a few noises so as not to startle him. "You OK Dad?" he asked.

"Oh, hi Ron. Yeah I'm fine. I'm just trying to remember how all these pieces go together."

It was clear to Ron that his father had been crying but he wasn't going to call him on it.

"I wanted to have a word, Dad, but I could come back later if you'd prefer."

"No, no, now's fine. What's on your mind?" he motioned Ron to a chair and sat down himself.

Ron fought down his nerves. "Well it's about me and Hermione."

"I thought it might be."

Ron found he couldn't go on. His confidence, his certainty crashed to the floor. What he was about to ask was outrageous. Why should he be allowed this when none of his brothers had been, not even Bill. What justification did he have other than his own selfish desires, his teenage fantasies? Then he thought about Hermione, how nervous she had looked as he left the kitchen. She was depending on him. He thought about the commitment they had made to each other. The adventure of a life together that Hermione had talked about and he found his confidence and determination return.

Arthur watched his son struggle and smiled to himself. He thought of making it easier for him but if Ron was about to ask what he thought he was then he needed to demonstrate that he had the maturity necessary.

"You know I love her?"

"I'm not blind son," Arthur chuckled.

"I love her so much. We want to start building a life together. We're not ready to get married just yet, its' just too soon, but that is where we both are heading." He paused for some time before continuing. "We've been through so much together and now we finally are together, well we're not going to stuff it up. We are committed to each other."

Ron studied his father to see how was reacting but Arthur was giving nothing away. His nervousness was building again. He brushed it away.

"Dad, we want to develop our relationship at our own pace, in our own way. We sort of think it's up to us when things happen between us." It was now or never. Ron swallowed then added, "Dad, we want to share a room together."

Arthur couldn't resist. "Well you sort of have been for the last nine months."

"Um, I mean without Harry."

Arthur got serious. "Ron, no one could doubt the strength of the love between you and Hermione. It's a beautiful thing. It's a joy to your Mother and I amidst the sadness. We've already discussed this and we are OK with you and Hermione sharing a room."

"You have? You are?" said Ron, incredulous, relieved and happy.

"We do know what it's like to be young and in love, you know. We also know that what you and Hermione have is the real thing."

"It is!" said Ron emphatically.

"Your Mum and I also think you might have the life-bond, have had it for some time," his father added.

"The life-bond, I thought that was something you only found in the romance novels that Ginny reads."

"No, it is very real, very powerful, and very precious. It's not that common though. Your mother and I have it."

"What exactly is a life-bond?"

"Why don't you go and get Hermione, tell her the good news and then we can have a chat about all this."

About ten minutes later Ron returned with Hermione. She looked happy but a little apprehensive. Arthur gave her a big hug.

"Hermione, I want you to know how much Molly and I love you. We couldn't be happier that you and Ron have finally gotten together."

"Thank you Mr Weasley."

"I think it's about time you started calling me 'Arthur', 'Mr Weasley' is too much of a mouthful," said Arthur.

"Thanks Mr W…, Arthur."

"I take it Ron's brought you up to speed?"

Hermione nodded. "I'm a bit concerned about the life-bond. It sounds an awful lot like a love potion to me. I'd hate to think that what Ron and I feel for each other isn't real."

"Oh no Hermione, no, it isn't like that at all. Don't think that, it's almost the complete opposite of a love potion. A love potion creates the illusion of love. A life-bond starts with the love. It is the love itself that creates the bond. And no ordinary love either. There has to be a really deep connection, a real concern for each other before a life-bond can form. It's like that connection opens up a channel that allows the magic to flow between you."

"So what exactly is a life-bond? What does it do?" asked Ron.

"Well it's not like you become one person, or hear each other's thoughts or anything. It does improve your ability to communicate and understand each other though. Basically it takes what you already have and enriches it. It makes it far more resilient. It gives you additional reserves of strength to overcome the difficulties that all relationships go through. It doesn't take away those difficulties. It helps keep your love fresh. In the long run that is probably the greatest gift of all."

"How do we know if we actually have this life-bond?" asked Hermione, still not sure how she felt about it.

"There's a spell, _Iugum aeternus revelio_, that can be cast by a couple that have the bond. If the other couple have the bond themselves their joined hands will glow with a shade ranging from light pink to deep red depending on the maturity of the bond. Last time Molly and I looked, about ten years ago, our bond glowed cherry red. If you'd like to know, Molly and I can perform the spell for you."

Hermione and Ron looked at each other. "Yes, we'd like that," replied Ron.

"It's usual to have a little ceremony, witnesses too. We could do it with the family or just Harry if you prefer. If the whole family is there it will lessen any difficulties or resentments with you two sharing a room," said Arthur.

Hermione felt herself colouring at this reference. She and Ron held another silent conference. "The whole family," announced Ron.

Arthur smiled. He didn't need a spell to know that his son and the woman he loved had the life-bond.

"Good. Now we need to discuss some practical matters, like which room to put you in. More important, where are we going to put Harry? The answer better not be Ginny's room, Molly and I aren't ready for that."

"Neither am I," added Ron.

"Nor is Harry," said Hermione, "but Mr Weasley, Arthur, he will be. He loves Ginny very much. That love helped sustain him during the last nine months. I think the same is true for Ginny."

"We thought Harry could sleep in Bill and Charlie's room. Charlie is staying at Shell Cottage. Hermione and I would use my room," said Ron.

Arthur smiled to himself. Yes that could work. That could work very well. He'd have to sell it to Molly though. "Have you said anything to Harry yet?" he asked.

"Yeah, we spoke to Harry and Ginny last night. They're both OK with the arrangement," replied Ron.

"Good, well I think I should go check on Molly." He gave them both a hug and walked back to the house.

When they were alone they turned to each other, huge grins from ear to ear. They started kissing with abandon. After about five minutes Ron surfaced for breath. "You know we might be more comfortable if we went to our room."

"_Our room_," Hermione heard herself repeating. She felt her nervousness arising, but also her excitement. Almost skipping they returned to the house.

**·****·**

About an hour later Ron and Hermione heard a knock on their bedroom door.

"Who's there," asked Ron.

"It's me," said Harry. "You're parents want to have a word with you."

"OK Harry, we'll be down in a few minutes," replied Ron.

They were lying on top of the bed. They had spent as much time talking happily to each other about an imagined future as they had snogging. They both got up and straightened their clothes.

"How does my hair look?" asked Hermione, trying to straighten her hair with her hands. Ron gently moved a strand off her face and replied "beautiful."

"I wasn't fishing for a compliment, Ron," laughed Hermione. "I need to know. We're going to have to get a mirror in this room. We could put it just there," she said teasingly pointing to the wall that held his Chudley Cannons posters.

"No way!" said Ron. "You can have that wall over there," he said pointing to a narrow section of wall between the corner and the window.

"Hmph," huffed Hermione. "It's supposed to be _our_ room. You have to learn to share."

"But Hermione, some things are sacred. You can't ask me to take down my Chudley Cannon posters."

"I'm not asking you to do that, Ron. I just need some room for my stuff, OK?" she looked at him with a pained expression.

"Yeah, of course it's OK. Come here." He gave her a big hug. "Sorry, it's going to take me a little while to get the hang of this. I'd burn every Chudley Cannon thing I had if it made you happy."

"We could start with that orange blanket," Hermione said with a wicked grin.

"Evil woman," he said giving her an affectionate slap on the behind. "Come on we better go downstairs."

When they got downstairs Molly and Fleur were in the kitchen preparing lunch, the rest were at the kitchen table, including George. In comparison to the light hearted banter of this morning, the mood was very sombre.

"Ah there you are," said Arthur. "I'm afraid we're discussing less happy things at the moment. We have to make a decision about funeral arrangements for Fred."

Ron felt like he'd been slammed in the gut. Once again he felt guilty that he was experiencing so much happiness. He slumped down on any empty chair. Hermione sat next to him.

"We're planning on holding the funeral in three days' time on Friday afternoon with a wake at the Burrow to follow," Bill informed them. "We've heard there's to be a joint funeral for Tonks and Lupin on Thursday morning also.

"Neville has sent me a list of funerals of the DA members," added Ginny. She was very upset. "Millicent Lewis has died of her wounds in St Mungo's. That's brings to five the number of DA members who died, six if you include Marietta. Neville wants to get to all their funerals, so do I. Unfortunately some clash so we're going to split them up." She paused and then looked directly at Ron and Hermione. "He also asks if at least one of the founders of the DA could be at each funeral. Could you two get to the ones Harry and I can't get to?"

"Of course," they both replied together.

"We'll all be spending most of the rest of the week going to funerals. It will be a very hard week," finished Arthur.

They all sat quietly together.

After a while Percy spoke. "'Next to a battle lost, the saddest thing is a battle won,' It was what Wellington said after he'd beaten Napoleon at Waterloo." Even wizards had heard of Waterloo and Napoleon.

"It's so very true, so very true," said Arthur.

Harry was beginning to breathe heavily, He was becoming very distressed.

"It's not your fault, Harry," said Hermione who had noticed his distress.

He looked up at Hermione. "Hermione, If only I – "

"No Harry! No," said Hermione forcefully. "I was there with you every minute. There was nothing more you could have done. There is nothing more we could have done. It is not your fault. It has never been your fault. You have done more than anyone to end it. You are the last person who should feel any guilt for the deaths that have occurred. I won't have you going to these funerals blaming yourself. I won't. How many times do Ron and I have to tell you this?"

"OK big sister," said Harry feeling a bit embarrassed.

George was looking surprised. "Harry, it never occurred to me that you could blame yourself for these deaths. I'm astonished. Harry, look at me. I don't blame you for Fred's death; no one around this table blames you. I can tell you with absolute certainty that Fred doesn't blame you. Let me tell you how it was. When we got word that you three had turned up at Hogwarts Fred and I thought great, maybe we can end this tonight. Maybe the nightmare can end tonight. And that's exactly what happened. We ended the nightmare. It's like Neville said yesterday. If the DA hadn't stood firm, if Fred and I and everyone else hadn't stood firm we would have lost, Voldemort would still be out there and the nightmare would continue. Fred died so we could win and no one did more to help us win than you, Harry, closely followed by Ron and Hermione. You are not remotely responsible for these deaths; that's all down to Voldemort and his followers. What you did gave Fred's death, all these other deaths meaning. They didn't die in vain."

"Everyone here agrees with George," Arthur said gently. "Harry anyone who is a position of responsibility, anyone whose decisions and choices affects other people's lives has to take stock, has to ask themselves if they could have done it better. If they don't they are not worthy of that position. You were thrust into a position of enormous responsibility that would crush most people. It is to your credit that you question how you handled that, ask if you could have done it better. But Harry, you have to accept that no matter what you did people were going to get hurt badly. You didn't have options that didn't end in people being killed, _none_. That is an almost unforgivable position to put a 17 year old in. Harry, you are not to blame for any of these deaths. You only had a choice of whether we won or we lost, not whether people would die."

"And Harry, you probably did make mistakes over the last nine months, how could you not. You three were thrown into a task that was nearly impossible, without adequate information and with the most evil wizard of our time trying to hunt you down with the full forces of the ministry behind him. All you can ask of anyone, all you can ask of yourself is that you do the best you can and learn from your mistakes. You three did that in spades. I know I'm going on here Harry, but it is important you understand this. Otherwise the weight of it will crush you. If you don't understand this you won't be able to take on any positions of real responsibility in the future and, Harry, you have far too much to offer."

Harry held up his hands. "OK, OK, I surrender...and actually thanks for that, all of you, it helps.

"All right everyone, that enough of all this heavy talk," Molly interrupted. "It's time for lunch. After lunch, well, your father and I have something special planned, something that should shine a little joy on the family."

"What, Mum? I'm intrigued," asked Ginny.

"You'll just have to wait, Ginny," replied Molly.

As Molly had planned, the mood during lunch lightened considerably as speculation around the table grew ever more bizarre and humorous. Even Ron and Hermione, who were fairly certain what was planned, joined in.

Towards the end of lunch an Owl flew in the back door and buzzed the table dropping a package right into the salad bowl. It grabbed a sandwich and flew out the front door in one continuous movement.

"Well manners, really!" said Molly. "Whoever trained that owl should be hit with a Jelly-Legs Curse."

Charlie reached for the package. "I wonder what part of the world now has the privilege of watching my baby brother snog his girlfriend." He opened the package to find a newspaper. "Ah yes, those lucky people in Sydney." He displayed the front page of the _Sydney Morning Soothsayer_ that did indeed show a picture of Ron and Hermione kissing.

"I like the angle on this one, it really shows Ron's nose to best advantage," quipped Ginny.

"Well, at least the title is an improvement, '_Voldemort's Victors Find Happiness'_," added Charlie

There were chuckles and smiles around the table.

"Well this might be an opportune time to introduce the special surprise that your Mother and I have planned," started Arthur. "Most of you know that Molly and I have the life-bond. Do all of you know what that means?"

Harry shook his head. Arthur took the opportunity to go over what he had explained to Ron and Hermione earlier in the day, making sure everyone really understood what a life-bond meant.

"A life-bond is not very common and even then it usually only develops in people when their love has had the time to mature and develop, generally after a few years marriage and a number of significant events," added Molly. "Sometimes though, when a relationship is subject to powerful events and is strengthened by them the life-bond can develop early. There is a test that can be done by a couple who have the life-bond that will show whether another couple also have it."

"Your mother and I suspect that there are two other people in this room who also share the life-bond and they have agreed for us to perform that test today in front of all of you as witnesses," continued Arthur. "The deep love of this couple has been on obvious display to all of us over the last two days. It has survived, been strengthened and possibly even been purified by enormous sacrifice. Rather fortuitously it has been celebrated today on the front cover of every wizarding newspaper in the world."

"Wow," said Ginny.

"Brilliant!" said George

Everyone else was too stunned to say anything. "If you would all come into the living room," said Arthur, "we'll conduct the ceremony."

"Now Ron and Hermione, please stand in the centre of the room. If everyone else could stand in a circle around them," instructed Arthur. He and Molly donned richly embroidered robes and conical hats. They draped sky blue capes over Ron and Hermione's shoulders. Molly then conjured lit candles and floated one to each witness. Arthur then darkened the room, shutting the curtains with a swish of his wand.

"This is a significant step we are taking today," began Arthur. "If a life-bond is revealed today then Ron and Hermione will know something about their future that few of us, especially those so young, can know, for it is not common for those with a life-bond to separate. I would not have suggested this test unless I knew that Ron and Hermione had already made serious commitments to each other. I learnt of this this morning when Ron and Hermione asked me permission to share a room together here at the Burrow, something Molly and I have agreed to." This caused raised eyebrows, looks of surprise even shock among some of the witnesses. Ron and Hermione were looking embarrassed at this revelation although they knew it could never have been kept a secret.

"Ron and Hermione, will you now entwine your four hands and hold them out in front of you. Molly and I will now say the incantation. A life-bond will reveal itself as a light pink to a full pink glow around the couple's hands. A more mature life-bond maybe 10 or so years old would be bright red. For truly mature cases like Molly and I it is a full bodied dark red."

Molly and Arthur held hands and then reached out together and touched Ron and Hermione's hands with their wands. "_Iugum aeternus revelio_" they chanted together. Almost immediately a dazzling bright red glow emerged from the young couple's joined hands, bathing everyone in the room in its warmth. "Merlin," said Arthur. Molly's eyes were wide open with shock. Everyone remained transfixed by the glow until, a few minutes later, it finally faded. Arthur opened the curtains and everyone blinked as light flooded the room.

"Well," said Arthur recovering his equilibrium, "you have a strong and surprisingly mature life-bond. Congratulations! … Charlie where's that fire whiskey you always seem able to conjure?"

Ron and Hermione looked at each other with huge smiles. The shock they had both experienced on seeing their life-bond confirmed was fading, replaced by a surging happiness. They leant in and gave each other a deep lingering kiss. Cheering and clapping filled the room led by Charlie and George.

Soon everyone had a glass of fire whiskey in their hands. "To Ron and Hermione!" they toasted.

"I need to sit down," said Arthur. Soon everyone had found seats.

"I feel like I've just attended a wedding, a wedding I wasn't expecting and wasn't ready for. What just happened?" asked Charlie.

"Good question," added Percy. "I thought you said we'd see a pink glow. What exactly are Ron and Hermione now? They're not married but what are they?

"That is something that Ron and Hermione are going to have to work out themselves. They have Molly and my full support doing just that," replied Arthur. "All I can tell you is it is something very beautiful, very special, but we didn't really need the test to know that."

Ron looked at Hermione then to the rest of his family. "If you're confused, think of how Hermione and I feel. Neither us really even knew what a life-bond was until this morning. Now it seems we have the bond of an old married couple."

"Ha, you've been arguing like an old married couple for years, so you shouldn't be too surprised," joked Ginny.

"You two must have had an extraordinarily strong connection even before puberty to explain what we just saw. The life-bond must have formed almost as soon as you were mature enough to be attracted to each other," explained Molly. "I'm not sure what could have caused such a strong connection that early."

"Let me think," said Harry, "in first year Ron saved Hermione from a mountain troll in the girl's bathroom. She had been hiding in their all day crying because she overheard Ron describe her as a 'nightmare'. She wouldn't have been crying if I or anyone else had called her a 'nightmare'. Even back then it was only Ron. Later that year Hermione saved Ron from some Devil's Snare, and then she watched as Ron sacrificed himself on a giant chessboard for my sake. She got him to the hospital wing."

"In second year, Ron, who has an abnormal fear of even small spiders, marched into a nest of giant man eating Acromantulas on the off chance we might learn something to protect Hermione who had already been petrified. Third year, Hermione chased a huge vicious black dog down a blind tunnel to the shrieking shack. The dog was big and powerful enough to be dragging Ron by his leg. She then faced off with someone she thought was a mass murderer and oh someone else she thought, correctly, was a werewolf. Do I need to say more? I'm not surprised in the least. They have always been massively important to each other since the day they first met on the Hogwarts express in first year."

"Harry, you did all those thing too, not just Ron," said Hermione.

"Yes Hermione, and there is a special bond between you and me, between all three of us, and I treasure it, but you were never attracted to me and vice versa. That's the difference," replied Harry.

"So how come it's taken you too so long to get together if you had this powerful bond for so long. What has it been, three days since you got together?" asked Ginny somewhat tactlessly.

"Three weeks, since Malfoy Manor," replied Hermione, "We probably would have got together a year ago if we didn't know we had to go help Harry save the world. We knew we had to focus on that. It wouldn't have been fair on Harry either."

"After Malfoy Manor, even that didn't seem important enough anymore," added Ron.

"I don't think the life-bond did you two any favours, forming so early," said Molly. "You were both far too young to be able to handle it. You erected barriers between yourselves to protect from getting too close, from getting into areas that were just too powerful to control. I think that's why you had all these famous fights. You were still always focusing on each other though, always there for each other when it was important."

"OK," said Ron "Can we talk about someone else now, this is getting a little embarrassing."

"We could talk about Percy," Ginny inserted quickly, She didn't want to have a family discussion with her brothers about her and Harry, especially after they had just learnt of Ron and Hermione sharing a room.

George quickly retorted, "_Percy_? What girl would go out with …Oh my God, Percy you're blushing. You _do_ have a girl! What's her name, you have to tell us."

Every eye turned to Percy who indeed was blushing. His mouth was agape but no words were coming out.

"Come on Perce," urged Charlie, "you can't hold out on us."

"I've really only just known her for a few months."

"Details, Percy details," demanded Ginny. "What's her name, what does she do, do we know her, where did you meet, what does she look like, details Percy, _now_!"

Percy surrendered. "Her name is Audrey, she's a trainee healer at St Mungo's, I doubt you know her, we met at an office party she came to with someone else and … what was your last question Ginny? ..ah yes, what does she look like – perfect."

"Oh my God, another one," said Charlie

"'Perfect' is a completely objective description, Charlie, she has the perfect classical proportions, jet black hair, perfect skin and moves with utter economy of movement. In a word – 'perfect'"

"Oh you do have it bad," remarked Charlie.

"She sounds very nice," said Molly.

"When are we going to meet her," asked Ginny.

"Well if it's OK with the family, I was thinking of asking her to come to Fred's funeral, to tell the truth, I think I might need her there."

"Of course that's all right, we'll be pleased to meet her. I just wish it could be under better circumstances," said Arthur

"This all getting a little exhausting," said Charley, "anyone for a quick game of Quidditch?"

**·****·**

"They all think they know what we'll be doing," said Hermione

"Yeah," replied Ron

They had come up to Ron's bedroom just as soon as they could after dinner. Everyone tried hard not to smirk as they made their excuses. Now they were sitting on the edge of the bed looking into each other's eyes.

"I'm nervous."

"Yeah, we've only known each other for seven years; we're practically strangers," replied Ron trying to ease the charged atmosphere without much success.

Hermione gave him a weak smile.

Ron squeezed her hand with reassurance. "I'm nervous too, Hermione. It doesn't matter what they think, we don't have to do anything we're not ready to do. That's what we decided; it's up to us what happens. That works both ways."

"Ron."

"Yes"

"I want to make love to you." She spoke quietly.

"Oh," said Ron feeling his excitement growing. "Are you sure?"

She simply nodded, trying to smile.

"I love you Hermione," breathed Ron, overwhelmed by the surging power of his emotions. They were both irresistibly drawn into a passionate embrace.

In time, they needed to breathe. Ron asked "Um, how do we go about this?"

"I think we get into bed."

"Shouldn't we get undressed first," replied Ron.

Hermione simply nodded looking all nervous again.

"Maybe we can undress one another. You can start. You can take off my shirt."

With a wicked grin Hermione started to unbutton Ron's shirt.

"That's not fair!" she exclaimed. "You're wearing a singlet."

"Yes it is!" he replied. "You're wearing something under your shirt too!"

With playfulness, love and increasing excitement the two friends led each other through their fears. Tenderly but with growing passion Ron and Hermione made love for the first time.


	11. Why We Fight

Chapter 11: Why We Fight

Fred's funeral was winding up.

For Ron, it had been surreal. He and Hermione had already attended five funerals that week including that of Colin Creevey and a joint funeral for Tonks and Lupin. The pain and grief at each one was real but all the fine words had begun to merge one into another till they had almost lost meaning. He had heard too many times of noble sacrifice and of young lives cut off far too soon.

At Fred's funeral they seemed to be going through the motions, too numb to feel anything more. George did what he had to do. The right things were done, the right words were said, but the real grieving, the real celebration of Fred had taken place elsewhere in the quiet and the not so quiet gatherings of his family and of his friends at the Burrow and the many other places where Fred had been known and loved. Just one funeral among many did not seem sufficient to mark the end of such as vibrant and compelling life.

Ron was in a state of quiet melancholy reviewing some of the times he and Fred had shared, thankful for the support that Hermione had provided to him all week. He was roused by Luna's frantic attempts to get Harry's attention.

"_You listen to me Harry Potter!"_ demanded Luna, "there is a large disturbance out there and it is moving towards us."

Harry, Ron and Hermione whipped out their wands.

"_Homenum Revelio_." Hermione quickly cast the spell in the direction Luna was pointing. Immediately, about fifty indistinct figures were revealed, moving towards them in battle line. They were still about 300 meters away.

Realising their presence had been revealed, the attackers instantly fired volley after volley of stunning spells into the assembled mourners at Fred Weasley's funeral. More lethal spells were, fortunately, not effective at this range. All the same, the battle was almost lost in the first few seconds. Fully two thirds of those attending the funeral were down or incapacitated. Of the rest, many were simply too shocked to provide useful resistance. People were screaming and running in all directions. Quite a few disapparated on the spot. The remainder were totally on the defensive, effectively outnumbered, projecting protective shields.

Those who had been standing near Harry and Luna, including fortunately quite a few of the DA, had that split second warning and many had managed to defend themselves just in time.

"Ron, Hermione," commanded Harry, "we'll get some people and come down behind them."

"_NO_!" insisted Ron. He had quickly surveyed the situation and, just as if it were a chess position, he immediately understood how nearly impossible their situation was. He saw a way, though, they could retrieve the situation but it had to be done right, it had to be done fast and they needed some luck.

"Trust me Harry, I _know_ what we need to do, OK"

Harry nodded and Ron immediately took on the air of command.

Ron called Neville, who was fortunately still on his feet and nearby.

"Neville I need you to take seven good fighters. Apparate just behind that hill there just to the right of these bastards. Come over the crest in battle line and roll them up from the side. You have to be totally offensive, don't hold back, and don't worry about defence. We'll give you defence from here. Got it!

"Yep."

"Then go now, and don't let them see you, disapparate from behind that hedge. GO!" Neville moved with surprising purposefulness and speed to execute the mission.

Ginny went to follow when Harry called her back, "Ginny, where are you going?"

"You're our leader and my love Harry, but Neville is my battle captain." She turned and ran after Neville.

Ron turned to his eldest brother. "Bill, Hermione, Fleur. See those shrubs over there?" Ron pointed to a spot a hundred meters behind them and off to their left. I want you to set up a position over there.

"Ron, you can't protect me like that. I'm staying in the battle," Hermione sharply protested as she parried another hex.

"You will be in the thick of if I'm right. They will try and flank us on that side if they can't get past our defensive shields. You'll be in a position to ambush them and protect our flank if they do. Now go. There's no time to argue. Bill take care of our girls, and hit them hard when they come. GO!"

Bill felt a moment's resentment being given orders by his youngest brother but he quickly came to a decision. Without further argument, Bill, Fleur and Hermione moved stealthily to the positions indicated

"Harry, you have to stay here. As long as the enemy can see you they won't be looking around for where you may have gone or at what the rest of us are doing. Concentrate on giving us protection. And Harry, use the effing Elder wand. We're going to need all the power we have. This isn't the time for noble sentiments." With that Ron left him, running among the various defenders, trying to bringing order out of the chaos.

The stench of fear and ozone filled his nostrils. Many of the defenders who were still fighting were close to joining the panic; others were using spells ineffective at this range. He gave encouragement and reassurance. He got most of the defenders using defensive spells. He switched some to offensive stunning spells. "We have to give them some reason to pause," he explained. He was taking a big risk; defenders were still dropping under the heavy barrage from attackers. He hoped he hadn't sent too many potential defenders with Neville… or too few.

The attackers were advancing again. Within a couple of minutes they would be in lethal range.

Out of the corner of his eye he saw George, Charlie and his father trying to rally the confused and the frightened and bring them into the battle all the while protecting them.

Ron soon found McGonagall and Filius Flitwick.

"Thank Merlin you two are still OK," said Ron.

"Nice to see you too Mr Weasley!" said McGonagall sarcastically as she fended of waves of attacks.

"Professors, in about 30 seconds, Neville and a small force are going to swoop over that hill and come down hard on the enemy. I need some special magic from the Professors of Hogwarts. It would be great if we could do something about the disillusionment charms they're using; the enemy are still hard to see. Can one of you take care of that? I also want to make sure that none of them escape, I need one of you to project an anti disapparition field.

"Consider it done, Mr Weasley," replied Flitwick. Before Ron could respond he was distracted by bright flashes off to their left. A small group of the enemy had appeared there, just as he had predicted. Bill, Fleur and Hermione had sprung the trap; they were all soon down.

Just a few moments later Neville came over the hill, creating absolute confusion and havoc among the enemy who were now being attacked from two directions. Bill, Hermione and Fleur moved quickly from their ambush position and attacked from a third direction. More and more fighters in the main group of mourners were now able to go on the offensive. The tide of battle swiftly changed. The enemy position completely collapsed and they broke. One by one they tried to disapparate, but they couldn't. Soon every single one of them was down.

The whole battle lasted seven minutes.

It had almost been a total disaster. In the end it was a total and complete victory. There were no fatal casualties on either side. The entire attacking force had been captured.

Now that they were down, their disillusionment dissipated, the enemy could be clearly seen. Many were in death eater masks which were soon ripped off by the victors. The catch included most of the Death Eaters who had escaped the battle of Hogwarts including Thorfinn Rowle, Crabbe and Goyle senior, and the Lestranges, Rodolphus and Rabastan. It included a number of Death Eater wannabes too including Gregory Goyle and Blaise Zabini.

The defenders were shocked when they discovered two aurors among the attackers. They were part of a team of five assigned to protect the sector from which the attack had come. Their colleagues were later found bound and gagged but otherwise unharmed.

After the battle Harry slumped. He had done wonders providing protection but now the danger had passed he became distraught. Once again those he loved had been in terrible danger and he was at the centre of it. He saw Ron approach him and he pulled him into despairing hug.

"Will it never end?" he asked.

"No," replied Ron thoughtfully, concerned for his friend, "but it will get better. The Death Eaters will never be able to mount an attack like this again. Today, no one died. It doesn't get better than that." Harry had been growing more and more despondent as funeral followed funeral. Ron was thankful that his sister had been able to support Harry through the ordeal and that in turn Harry had done the same for Ginny.

Ron separated from Harry, only to be almost knocked over by Hermione who had thrown herself into his arms.

"That was brilliant Ron, absolutely brilliant!" she squealed.

They were soon joined by Ginny and Neville who were as pumped as Hermione. They were all high on adrenaline.

"Did you see that! Did you see that!" Ginny shrieked. "They just fell before us. We ripped through them. Brilliant plan, brother mine."

"It's Luna we should be thanking. If it wasn't for her they would have been on top of us and using lethal curses before we knew what hit us. It would have been very, very bad," replied Ron.

Ironically Luna was one of the many stunned during the early seconds of the battle. Most of these were now being revived. Many had ben conscious throughout the battle but unable to move. One such was Kingsley who, once again, had to take charge of the aftermath. Ron didn't envy him.

Harry, Hermione, Ron and Ginny were soon joined by the rest of the Weasleys.

"Well George, what do you think?" asked Ron, "a battle won, no casualties and fifty captured Death Eaters; a fitting tribute to our brother don't you think?"

"Very fitting," replied George with bravado neither of them really felt. "It makes the fireworks I was planning seem a bit tame really."

**·****·**

The wake for Fred Weasley took on the air of both a celebration and a healing session for what was beginning to be called the Battle of Ottery St Catchpole. Despite the bloodless victory, people were aware how close they had all come to disaster. Rather than being on the run, as everyone had thought, the remaining Death Eaters had gambled all on an attack that nearly took out the core of the supposed victors of the war.

Fred's funeral had been the last of all the funeral's held that week. By informal consensus no other funeral clashed with it. As a member of both the Order of the Phoenix and the DA and, with his brother, the instigator of Potterwatch Fred's funeral was seen as symbolically important. The fact that he was a member of the Weasley family was also significant.

The one remaining event after Fred's funeral would be a memorial ceremony to be held at Hogwarts on Sunday in two days' time. It was rumoured that the muggle Prime Minister, Tony Blair, would be attending.

Prior to the memorial service there was to be an information session for Hogwarts students whose studies had been interrupted by the war and the premature closure of the school after the Battle of Hogwarts; principally Newt and Owl students and those unable to attend last year.

Now the wake for Fred was down to a hard core comprising the family, his close friends and more than a few of the DA. There were a few other hardy stayers including, surprisingly Minerva McGonagall.

McGonagall was saying in her Scottish brogue "people such as Fred are vital to the emotional health of a school; people who are not malicious in the least but whose irreverence and capacity for mayhem remind us all not to take ourselves too seriously. Fred and George, though, were in a class of their own."

"I'll remind you that you said that next year, Professor, when I get in trouble for causing mayhem," quipped Ginny cheekily.

"Said what, Miss Weasley? I don't believe I said anything," replied McGonagall trying hard to hide a smile behind a disapproving look. "Did you hear me say anything, Mr Potter?"

"Of course not Professor, I don't know what Ginny is talking about?" replied Harry trying to keep a straight face. This earned him a mock glare, hands on hips, from Ginny, who then burst out laughing.

"Next year won't be anything like last year at Hogwarts, thank Merlin," McGonagall continued, "and that's thanks more to the people in this room than perhaps anyone else. The school will need a lot of healing and it will be hard for all of us to get back to normal. I hope many of you can help with that."

Before McGonagall could take these thoughts further she was interrupted by the arrival of a much harried looking Kingsley. No one had seen him since they had left the graveyard, the scene of the battle. He collapsed into a chair and gratefully accepted the fire whiskey that was floated towards him and downed it in one go.

"What a disaster!" he said.

"What's the story?" asked Arthur.

"The good news is that all but about 5 of the hard core Death Eaters are now either dead or in custody. The attack was organised by the Lestranges. They managed to rally most of the remaining Death Eaters and recruited many of their fellow travellers and a few malcontents as well. Their aim was revenge for Voldemort and Bellatrix and to establish themselves as the leaders of a new Death Eater movement that could once more take over the government. If they had succeeded today they would have made significant progress towards that goal."

"The disaster is the extraordinarily weak position of the ministry and the Auror department in the wake of this attack." continued Kingsley. "What really hits me hard is that the senior Auror in charge of security for Fred's funeral, Carl Wydcombe, betrayed us. He has apparently been a long time sympathiser. Kidnapping his family cemented his loyalty to the Death Eaters. He either incapacitated his fellow Aurors or sent them away on false missions. McGruder, the other auror who joined the attack was imperiused. This new betrayal is going to further paralyse the ministry. It's impossible to know who can be trusted."

"Surely after today the Wizengamot can no longer drag their feet on your proposal to use veritaserum to establish the loyalty of all key personnel and all those in security positions?" insisted Percy.

"I don't think people will be taking much heed to my views after today. My hold on my job has become very shaky indeed. There were three Wizengamot members present at the funeral and they are furious. They are demanding answers. In particular they want to know why, once again, it was the 'children' who had to save the day while the people under my command only made matters worse. "

"That's not fair!" said Ginny with vehemence.

"It's totally fair. If I can't come up with an answer, and more importantly a plan of action to fix it, I don't deserve my job." Kingsley insisted. "By the way what you all did today was astounding. I was paralysed, but was still conscious throughout the battle. I witnessed the whole thing. Ron, I watched as you took command. I have to tell you that I know very few experienced aurors who could have come up with such an appropriate and well-balanced plan in the heat of battle then executed it so well. I was very, very impressed. I am just as impressed with the way you all handled yourself in battle."

"If I still have a job on Sunday I intend to offer all of you position's as Aurors. After today, I have more need of you than ever. I need people whose loyalties and skills I can trust. Of course, Minerva here has her own plans for you. We will both presenting some formal proposals to you on Sunday morning."

"You mean we would be full Aurors straight up, no training?" asked an incredulous Neville.

"There would be training, but you would be fully fledged Aurors from day one. You would be operational from day one. I can't say any more about it at the moment. You'll have to wait till Sunday," explained Kingsley.

Everyone was quite for a while, taking in what Kingsley had just said.

It was Hermione who first spoke. She had long since come down from the high of the battle and had soon been flooded with fear for all the things that might have happened, the people she loved who could have been killed or badly injured. She also hated using violence and what it cost her spirit.

"I hope I have fought my last battle," she said simply. "I still want to work to help people, to help bring about change. I just don't want to use violence anymore. I hate it. I hate what it does to me. Sorry Kingsley."

"You have nothing to apologise for, Hermione, nothing whatsoever. You have already done far more than anyone could ever ask," replied Kingsley. "I think I know the answer to this question, but Hermione, if you felt this way why did you fight at all."

"Because I had to," she answered simply, "because Harry had to win and he needed me, because if I didn't there would be no place for me in this world, or for those like me, because if I didn't there would be no place for justice or compassion in this world. I will fight again if I have to, like I did today, but it is never something I would seek to do."

Heads nodded around the room as people contemplated what Hermione had said.

"I fought to protect the people I care about," said Ron taking up the general question that was before the room. "I fought to protect my best friend, the woman I love and my family and the rest of you too. I fought because I hate the people who would deny Hermione a place in our world or treat her like scum because her parents are muggles. I fought because I hate the people who casually inflict pain, injury or death on innocent people. For me it is personal. I want to go on protecting people too by whatever means I best can."

"To me it was about bullies," said Neville, "people who abuse power and act cruelly. I couldn't stand by why the Carrows turned Hogwarts into a horror camp. People like them tortured my parents to the point of insanity. If I can, I will always fight people like that. Like Hermione, I don't like it. I hate violence. There are other things I would far rather be doing, but if I'm needed, I will be there. What Hermione said about compassion and justice is also important for me too. Without those things the bullies soon take over the world."

Arthur now took up the theme. "For me it's like Ron said, it's personal. I fight to protect my family. There's a bigger picture though. In the end, I believe my family is better off living in a world that is free, just and compassionate and where every human, wizard or muggle is respected. Molly and my activities in the Order, pursuing those goals actually brought danger to my family. In the end, though it is still for my family I fight."

"I fought because my friends asked me too," contributed Luna. "That's very important I think because my friends are very good people. I also fought to push back the darkness and live in the light. People like Alecto carried the darkness with them everywhere and were filling the world with it. You can't live in the dark."

Around the room it went. It was soon clear that most were fighting for personal reasons, rather than abstract causes, principally to protect people they cared about. All the same they understood those principles were important because they in turn protected people. It was Kingsley who summed it up;

"We all fought for each other and we also fought for justice, fairness and freedom. They are inseparable in the end. Unfortunately we could never fully protect each other. Fighting costs. Many of us were hurt. Some of us died. Those who died did so protecting our freedom and our happiness. Now we have to make that work."

"Yeah, well that's all very well and good, but what do we actually do?" asked Seamus.

"What I want to do," said Kingsley, "is change the way our government works. In my experience, commitment to justice and the rule of law must be at the heart of any good government. When that breaks down, as it has in our society over many years, you get government by winks and nods. Injustice and prejudice thrives, compassion goes out the door. The privileged become more powerful and greedy and more desperate to maintain their position. It is a situation ripe for the plucking by men such as Voldemort. Changing that will mean overcoming a lot of entrenched opposition though."

"You must retain your position, Kingsley," said Harry passionately. "We need you there. If there's anything Ron, Hermione or I can do or say to help let us know, OK. It's no use winning the war if we lose the peace. We also need to change attitudes in the wider community as well; attitudes such as the blood prejudice that helped Voldemort come to power. I think there might be a role for both the Order and the DA in this and I think we should all think about how that might happen."

"That's an excellent idea, Harry," said Arthur. "We Weasleys, and I include Harry and Hermione in that description, we decided several days ago that we would do what we could to help win the peace. That may mean supporting, even driving necessary reforms and working to change social attitudes. If we older one's had done that after the last war we may have avoided this one. No one who has fought in a war could want to fight in another so I would ask you all to think about Harry's suggestion. Maybe we could all meet back here in a week or so and discuss it further."

There was general consent around the room. In years to come, historians would talk of tonight's events as the beginning of the reform movement. No one there, of course, had any inkling of that.

"I'm sorry, George," apologised Kingsley,"that we seem to have hijacked your brother's funeral for a different purpose."

"Don't apologise. Fred would approve. It is a fitting monument. However if you would all like to join me outside we can say one final farewell."

Once they had all assembled at the rear of the Burrow fireworks lit the sky. They all raised the glasses that had magically appeared in their hands.

"To Fred!" toasted George,

"To Fred!" they all boomed in response.


	12. Respect

Chapter 12: Respect

Hermione awoke to see Ron gazing into her face. He was lying on his side, facing her, looking happy and at peace.

"Hey," he said

"Hey to you too my love," replied Hermione.

Ron's smile broadened. "I'll never get tired of hearing you call me that. I'll never get tired of waking up and seeing you laying there beside me. You're beautiful when you're asleep you know?"

"Only when I'm asleep, Mr Weasley?" asked Hermione teasingly.

"Definitely only when you're asleep, my love."

"Oh I see. So what am I when I'm awake?" pouted Hermione.

"Let me see; you're bossy, irritating, know it all…"

Hermione raised an eyebrow.

"Loving, supportive, funny, educational, distracting and unbelievably, stunningly, irresistibly, breathtakingly hot!" concluded Ron.

"I see," said Hermione, "in that case you're probably too out of breath to kiss me. That's a shame because I was really looking forward to a good morning kiss."

"Perhaps if I close my eyes I can get my breath back." Ron closed his eyes then pulled Hermione in for a long lingering kiss. The playful banter slowly transformed into passionate love making.

Later, they lay in each other's arms sharing those quiet, intimate and poignant moments that follow physical love.

"I feel so safe here, Ron, so happy."

"Same, so happy and so complete," replied Ron cuddling Hermione even closer. "Having you in my arms feels so natural, so right; it's like a part of me has always been missing and is now in place. I'm complete."

"That's beautiful, Ron, and I understand exactly what you mean. I feel exactly the same…I feel as if I've come back home, back to a home I never knew I had."

"I couldn't have survived this week without you, Hermione, without us. Two battles and all those funerals and Fred, I couldn't have done it."

"It's been such an awful week in so many ways."

"Yes," agreed Ron but after a while he added, "but wonderful too."

"I sometimes feel so guilty about being so happy. It has felt wrong in some ways; funerals during the day, then retreating to our own little oasis of joy at night. It feels disrespectful."

"I know, I feel it too, but it isn't though, disrespectful I mean. Fred, the others didn't die so we could wallow in misery. They died because they believed life was important and should be joyful. Fred would be happy for us. George is. Anyway we should leave feeling guilty to Harry, he's good at it."

"Ho, Ho," replied Hermione. "Actually I'm worried about Harry. He's been trying to stay strong for everyone else all week, but I'm afraid after he gets through today's memorial service it's going to hit him hard. We'll have to be there for him."

"We always have been, we always will, just as he has always been there for us and for far too many others too, if you ask me. At least he has Ginny now as well."

"True."

Ron paused for a while, looking a little apprehensive. "Hermione," said Ron in a querying tone, "what do you want to do next year? I assume you want to go back and finish school, get your Newts." By now they were both sitting up in bed.

"I assume you don't," replied Hermione.

"Not really, we're being offered positions as aurors without Newts. That was always my main motivation for gaining them. You know I've wanted to be an auror for some time."

"Yes, of course. I suppose you'll be taking up Kingsley's offer, then?"

"Actually I'm thinking no, not straight away anyway."

"Why not?" Hermione was surprised.

"George," he replied watching Hermione closely, gaging her reaction. "I think he has been putting on a brave face all week, trying to be strong. I don't think it can last; I think it's all going to hit him very hard very soon. I want to be there to help him pick up the pieces, get his life and his business back on track. That isn't going to happen quickly. It might take six months or more. Then, I can take up Kingsley's offer."

Tears appeared in the corners of Hermione's eyes. "You are a good, good man Ronald Weasley. That's why I love you."

"And here I was thinking it was my stunning physique!"

"I do love the feel of your strong arms around me but we're getting off the subject. Kingsley's offer may not still be open in six months' time."

"We'll see what he says today. What about you. I dread being separated from you. I'm going to hate every minute of it, but a Hermione Granger who never got her twenty Newts, that just isn't right."

"You know it's only seven Newts I'm going for, Ron, but you're right; it would feel wrong not getting my Newts. I'd regret it forever. Trouble is, it's going to feel really wrong not being with you also. I will miss you so much."

"Maybe McGonagall can give me a 'saviour of Hogwarts' pass so I can visit you whenever I want. If you're Head Girl you even get your own room."

Hermione was struck dumb. She was lost in thought for some time. Ron, who knew exactly what the expression on Hermione's face meant, understood he had to wait till she had worked through the ideas churning in her wonderful mind.

She turned to him, beaming. "That's brilliant, Ron, that's exactly what we'll do." She then gave him an excited hug.

Before Ron could ask for clarification there was a bash on the door. Ginny yelled out "Mum says if you two aren't down for breakfast within five minutes she's going to put you in separate rooms."

They both jumped out of bed grinning. As they got ready to go downstairs Ron said, "There's one more thing we need to discuss. We need to make plans to go to Australia and get your parents."

Ron noticed Hermione turn pale. "We can discuss it later," she replied weakly.

"OK" replied Ron.

**·****·**

The information session at Hogwarts was to take place at 11:00 in the Great Hall, followed at 2:00pm by the memorial service to be held in the grounds. Harry was to be one of four speakers at the memorial service. He and Hermione had spent the best part of Saturday night preparing his speech. They were given dubious support by Ginny and Ron whose suggestions, while certainly highly entertaining, were likely to have given Molly heart failure and gotten Harry arrested for public libel.

As Harry, Ron and Ginny walked through the grounds of Hogwarts towards the Great Hall they realised that while most of the debris from the battle had been cleared away there was still significant damage to both castle and surrounds that needed to be repaired. One whole section of the castle had actually collapsed and would have to be rebuilt.

Hermione had come earlier for a special session for the muggle born who had been denied a place in the school this year. Although Hermione hadn't attended the school for other reasons she still wanted to come.

Harry, Ron and Ginny saw Hermione near the entrance to the great Hall standing with Molly and Arthur who had accompanied Hermione. Both groups joined and entered the Great Hall together. Harry had rarely seen the hall so full. The usual house tables had been replaced with seats laid out auditorium style. They found a place where they could all sit together, about a third of the way back from the front. Students from all years were invited, along with their parents, including those who had missed most of the year for various reasons. Harry noticed, with mixed feelings, that there was also a large press contingent.

Harry turned his attention to the dais. Most of the school staff was there, as was Kingsley. There were quite a few people he didn't know. He was surprised to see Elphias Doge, Dumbledore's childhood friend there, until he recalled he was chair of the Hogwarts Board of Governors.

Kingsley strode to the lectern and an expectant hush fell over the hall. No matter how much he liked Kingsley, it would always seem unnatural to Harry to see anyone other than Dumbledore at that lectern.

"Good morning." Kingsley's warm deep voice filled the hall without strain. "I would like to welcome you all here on behalf of both the Ministry and of Hogwarts. I am not going to beat about the bush; dreadful things have happened in the wizarding world this last year and our beloved Hogwarts and its students were not spared these troubles. Inexcusable things happened here, unacceptable things. As Minister of Magic I want to assure you all that the Ministry takes full responsibility for what happened here at Hogwarts and at the two other great wizarding schools of Britain, the Flammel Academy and the Ludus Magicus. The ministry, under Voldemort, took direct control of these three schools and appointed into positions of absolute authority creatures not fit for decent human society."

"Earlier today I spoke to the muggle born students denied access to Hogwarts this year. While they were spared the troubles at this school, they had to endure their own special nightmares. Not all survived this last year. On behalf of the ministry, I unreservedly apologised to these students and their parents for the way they were treated. Now, I do the same to the rest of you."

"This coming year must be one of healing. We must repair the damage that has been done to our minds, our hearts and our community. That is a task for society at large and, specifically, for this school. I will do everything I can to help. One of the first steps I have taken is to restore control of the school to its Board of Governors." This was met with wholehearted applause.

"Today, each of you will be presented with various options that will help you get your education back on track. I will let Professor McGonagall tell you more about that. However, some of you will be receiving a special offer. It is no secret that the Auror's office is mightily depleted and we are in urgent need of capable and trustworthy recruits. Nor is it a secret that members of Dumbledore's Army, or the DA, have greatly impressed many of us both by their battle performance and the outstanding character they have displayed during this difficult year. DA members currently in their senior year are being offered the opportunity to join the Auror's office as full-fledged aurors. If you take up this offer, and I hope many of you do, you will receive training on the job as well as formal education in subjects relevant to an auror's work. By special arrangement, success in these courses will result in the award of Newts in the appropriate subjects. You will be given an opportunity to both serve and further your education at the same time."

"Finally, I have an announcement that gives me great pleasure. Today, the Hogwarts Board of Governors has confirmed Minerva McGonagall in the position of Headmistress of Hogwarts, with Filius Flitwick as deputy." Roars of approval filled the hall.

"I now present the 87th Head of Hogwarts," boomed Kingsley with theatrical flourish.

McGonagall strode to the rostrum to continuous and loud applause. When the applause subsided she spoke.

"Let's get straight down to it." With a wave of her wand hundreds of thick envelopes began streaming from several baskets on the dais. They spiralled upwards then dashed off to different parts of the great hall, dropping gently in to the laps of each student. "I doubt that it is a surprise to any of you that it will not be possible to reopen the school this term. What each of you has received is a personalised set of options designed to remedy the damage to your education caused by recent circumstances. Those most affected are Owl and Newt students. You have all been given an option to transfer to either the Ludus Magicus or the Flammel Academy where you can complete this year and take your exams at the normal time. Alternatively, Hogwarts will be open one month early on the 1st of August for OWL and NEWT students with special make up exams held in the first week of October. School staff will be available during this week to help each of you decide."

"We, as a school body, have a large task ahead of us; to restore Hogwarts as a place that both educates and nurtures. Above all, Hogwarts must once more become a place that is safe and caring. There will be no tolerance at Hogwarts for bullies or for those who fail to respect their fellow students, none whatsoever. You will perhaps be pleased to know that several students and, regrettably, several staff members, who were far too enthusiastic in their support of the foulness that afflicted this school this last year, have been asked to show cause why they should be allowed to return to Hogwarts. I do not believe any of them will succeed in doing so." Loud cheers followed this announcement.

"In contrast to these wretched degenerates, there were students who at great personal cost pushed back against the foulness and did much to keep their fellow students safe. On rare occasions, Hogwarts recognizes an outstanding contribution to the school and gives a student the '_Special Award for Services to the School'_. It is my great honour to announce that the Board of governors has approved giving this award to every active member of the DA who attended school this year and five who did not." This was met by overwhelming applause. When the applause died down, she continued, "Three of the five are well known to you and for good reason; Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Harry Potter. The other two are brothers, muggle born, not allowed to attend school this year. Though both were underage they fought for the school that wouldn't have them. Dennis Creevey was the youngest person to fight at the battle of Hogwarts, Colin, the youngest to give his life. Both have earned a very special place of honour in the heart of this school." McGonagall had a tear in her eye as she finished. Led by the DA the Hall rose and gave a standing ovation.

'These awards will be presented at the opening feast when school resumes normally on September the first. We will now open to questions from the floor," concluded McGonagall.

The questions started and they were very hostile. Parents, unable to vent their anger and disgust against the former regime took it out on the current one. This had been expected and McGonagall, Kingsley and the others on the dais took it with good grace and humility. Doing so was part of the healing process, even though it was very hard to take. Eventually, the hostility faded and questions reflected concerns and hopes for the future. The meeting broke up in good spirits.

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the lawn in the Hogwarts grounds. They had grabbed some of the refreshments that had been set out and were now eagerly opening their packages. The offers the trio received were much as outlined by McGonagall. They had also received offers to become aurors. Ginny was being offered a choice between completing the term at another school (starting in a week's time) or doing remedial classes next year.

"Merlin, who wants to go to Ludus, they're all so prim and proper and Flammel is full of retards," exclaimed an exasperated Ginny.

"Ginny! Hasn't this last year taught you anything about not being judgemental?" asked an equally exasperated Hermione.

"Yeah," chimed in Ron, "Aunt Muriel went to Ludus and Cornelius Fudge went to Flammel, so there's no truth to those stereotypes at all."

They all burst out laughing.

"Be serious, Ronald," continued Hermione trying to stop smiling, "it would be a great opportunity for Ginny to broaden her horizons."

"Maybe," replied Ginny, "but after this year I need a good long break and I want to spend some time with you guys. Are any of you going back to Hogwarts?"

"I am," said Hermione.

"For me there doesn't seem any point to going back to Hogwarts after Kingsley's offer," said Harry gingerly, watching Ginny closely. "I can start work as an auror and still get my Newts. After what happened at Fred's funeral I would feel wrong, just sitting around at Hogwarts while there are people who want to hurt the people I care about still out there." Conscious of his promise to include Ginny in his decision, he added, "I don't have to make up my mind today though and I want to know what you think Ginny." Ron and Hermione exchanged a quick glance of surprise at this addendum.

"What about you, Ron?" asked Ginny.

Ron explained what he was thinking. He added, "Kingsley has left me a personal note in my package saying he is happy to talk about his offer at any time. I think I'll take him up on that and see if I can defer things for six months."

"Have you talked to George yet?" asked Ginny.

"No, but I will soon."

"You know," started Ginny with a mischievous grin, "I'm going to find it really hard being separated from Harry next year but I don't see how you and Hermione are going to cope at all. How long has it been since you've spent more than five minutes apart? You won't be able to apparate home to Ron's bed at night you know."

Ron and Hermione both blushed, but the Hermione replied, "Oh I don't know, Ginny, being heroes has to have some privileges. I'm working on a plan. McGonagall wants to have a private chat with me sometime this week, so I'll just have to see what I can work out."

Ginny was startled and then hopeful. "Well, see if you can work out a little together time for Harry and me in this plan of yours, OK."

"Yes do!" added Harry.

"And Harry, don't run off and join the aurors straight away. We all need a break, especially you," said Ginny.

"Agreed," said Harry.

Ron thought for a moment then made a decision. "We have to make plans to retrieve Hermione's parents in Australia."

Hermione gave Ron a momentary glare then bit her lower lip. Harry immediately understood that something was troubling Hermione and Ron wanted his support.

"What's wrong Hermione?" Harry asked bluntly.

"What if I did the spell wrong and damaged their minds?" she blurted. "What if the Death Eaters found them? What if I can't restore their memories? What if they hate me for what I have done to them?" Hermione burst into tears.

Ron put his arm around her. When she had settled down he turned to her, held both her hands in his and looked her into the eyes. "You didn't get the spell wrong, the Death Eaters didn't find them, you will be able to reverse the spell and Hermione no one could hate you especially not your parents. They may be angry at you for a while but they love you and they always will."

"You can't know that, Ron"

"Yes I can, but the only way you are going to be convinced is if we go to Australia and get them. That is what we should do."

"Ron is right Hermione. You didn't make a mistake and your parents are going to be just fine. Trust me Hermione; I know your worth as a witch and as your parents' daughter. Everything will be fine," said Harry.

"Thank you Harry."

"If it's OK with you Hermione, maybe all four of us could go to Australia," suggested Harry. "We could find your parents, and then have the holiday we all so richly deserve. It would be on me. This is one time I won't take no for an answer. What's the point of being rich if you can't do something for the three people closest to you, in the whole world, after we've all had the worst year of our lives? OK?"

"I think I would like that very much, Harry" replied Hermione. "I would like very much having you three with me."

Ron looked at Harry and nodded. He decided to swallow his pride, as much for Hermione's sake as anything else and accept Harry's offer. "Thanks' mate that's very generous. I owe you one."

"Not as many as I owe you, Ron."

Ginny hugged Harry, "I can't wait."

"Well, unfortunately, you have to sit through a whole lot of boring speeches first, including one from your rich boyfriend," joked Ron. They realised that time was getting on and they moved to join the rest of the Weasleys for the Memorial service.

**·****·**

Harry was one of eight people seated on the dais that had been erected for today's memorial service. It was a very simple affair, a plain structure draped in black. The only adornments were the coat of arms of the Wizengamot and of Hogwarts. There was also a large golden pyramid in the centre, an ancient symbol of the triumph of life over death. Harry felt very much out of place. Everyone else there held very senior positions and the next youngest person, the muggle Prime Minister Tony Blair was more than twice his age.

The ceremony was being held in almost the same location as Dumbledore's funeral, near the black lake. As Harry looked out over those assembled he was very much reminded of that day. As then, there were wizards and witches from all over the world, including the ministers of magic of France, Germany and Spain. The press were well represented also. Harry was beginning to feel sick in the stomach when he contemplated what he was about to say. His words had sounded fine and appropriate when he was writing them with Hermione last night. Now, he was afraid they were simply presumptuous in front of such an august audience. Still, he reminded himself, these august personages did not prevent Voldemort coming to power, nor did they remove him. His words were necessary and if they offended, so be it.

The little tufty haired wizard who always seemed to officiate at these important occasions, including Fred's funeral, rose to his feet and marched with surprising vigour to the centre of the dais. Harry had learned this week that he was the Pontifex Wizen, the chief ceremonial officer of the Wizengamot. The Pontifex Wizen opened the memorial service and then gave a lengthy oration. It was a beautiful speech thought Harry, but it didn't resonate. It contained none of the flesh and blood of the people they were honouring. When the speech was finished five students from Hogwarts, including Ginny, Neville and Luna strode onto the dais. Between them they read out the names of the 48 fallen. As each person's name was spoken, a shimmery silver orb rose from the dais in which the deceased moving image was visible. The orbs joined to form a vibrant memorial tapestry in the sky above the dais then slowly faded to invisibility. A beautiful ethereal music, reminiscent of a phoenix' lament accompanied the ceremony. Harry saw Colin Creevey's parents break down as their son's orb rose into the air.

Kingsley now got up to speak. He didn't pull his punches. Although his language was polite, his meaning was unmistakably clear. He talked of rebuilding a ministry of magic that the wizarding community could trust and that would serve the community interest rather its own. Controversially, he called for people to be held accountable for their actions during Voldemort's reign. "Let those who said they had no alternative, they were just following orders, admit what they did and justify themselves before a Truth and Reconciliation commission. Let those who claimed to be imperiused when they committed serious crimes against humanity prove that under veritaserum. We cannot allow serious criminals and people of bad intention to retain positions of influence in our community, as we did after Voldemort's first reign. To do so would dishonour those who gave their lives here, on this battlefield."

Kingsley's speech was given a mixed reception. Some were wildly enthusiastic, while others sat stony faced and unmoving. No doubt some thought it inappropriate, others saw it as a threat. Tony Blair gave him a quizzical look that seemed to say "_I admire your courage but you have a lot to learn about politics_."

Next up was Gemalla Wenglespon, the chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot, and widely regarded as the most influential politician in Wizarding Britain. Harry was keen to see if she would support Kingsley. She spoke for seven minutes with words that sounded just right and of great import, but later Harry couldn't remember a single meaningful thing she had said. Hermione later explained why. Wenglespon had perfected the art of the non-speech; great sounding words signifying nothing. Clearly, she had not yet been ready to commit herself for or against Kingsley.

Now it was Harry's turn. He was extremely nervous. Then he saw Ginny in the third row waving at him and beside her, Molly giving an encouraging smile. Her motherly support strengthened him and he decided he would talk as if he was addressing only Molly, as if no one else was there. With renewed confidence, he began.

"I would like today to talk about respect. Respect, first of all, for those who have fallen, for that is why we are here today. However, we cannot show them true respect unless we talk of respect in a wider context." Harry spoke slowly and clearly, trying to establish a steady rhythm as Hermione had shown him.

"It was lack of respect; respect for life, respect for liberty, respect for decency, respect for the dignity and value of every single human being that made this battle, this war necessary."

"Every life lost here was valuable, we rightly grieve for them. This is not something abstract for me, I knew many of the dead well and their loss hurts. I grieve for Fred Weasley, brother of my closest friend. I grieve for Remus Lupin and his wife, Nymphadora Tonks, who both taught me so much and whose orphaned baby is my god child. I grieve for young Colin Creevey, only sixteen years old, a muggle born, whose infectious passion and enthusiasm for life makes his death all the harder to bear. Today, though, must be about something more than our own personal grief, our own personal pain. We must remember why so many fine witches and wizards sacrificed their life. We must always remember that they died in order to restore to us a society that values each and every one of its members."

"Minister Shacklebolt has outlined a number of measures designed to restore integrity and decency to our government. I whole heartedly endorse these measures, as I do his position as Minister of Magic. All the same, these measures will not be enough.

The fight to restore justice and decency to our society will not be won through laws and administrative arrangements, necessary though they be. The fight will not be won on the battlefield. It can only be won in the hearts of each and every one of us.

"I therefore implore each of you firstly, to respect yourselves. Respect yourselves enough to be the best person you can be, to stand up and resist tyranny and injustice wherever you find them and to stand up for your own best values. I then implore you to extend that respect to all your fellow human beings and to the other members of our magical community and to understand that each and every one of us has value and an essential dignity."

"Only then will the sacrifice of those who died here be imbued with true meaning. Only then will you have shown true respect to those you have come to honour today. Anything less is a betrayal of the supreme gift they have given you."

With that, Harry returned to his seat and sat down. Silence followed. Then it started; a trickle of applause at first, building slowly into an overwhelming wall of sound. Soon, everyone was on their feet. The applause lasted for a whole minute. Harry was becoming very embarrassed by the response. At last, the tufty headed wizard rose to his feet and with a few more words and actions brought proceedings to a close. He then walked over to Harry and shook his hand.

"I believe you came closer to the true import of the occasion in two minutes than I did in twenty. Congratulations, young man!"

"You would not have been forgiven a short speech, nor I a long one," replied Harry

Harry found himself being congratulated by the other people on the dais. He was warmly thanked for his endorsement by Kingsley. Gemalla Wenglespon came up to him and dragged him off to the side.

"I see I am going to have to watch you young man. You realise you have made it next to impossible for the Wizengamot not to support Shacklebolt for Minister of Magic."

"Then, I would say I have done a good days work," replied Harry.

"Easy for you to say, these measures he is pushing are going to make life very uncomfortable."

"And why should life be comfortable for those who seek to exercise power over others?" asked Harry.

"Yes," replied Gemalla with a smile, "I'm going to have to watch you closely."


	13. Sydney Bound

Chapter 13: Sydney Bound

Arthur looked across the desk at his visitor. He was a good looking man in his mid-thirties with dark hair that was short and neatly groomed. Despite a soft face he still exuded strength, confidence and authority.

Arthur had been surprised this morning when he had received a note from Oliver Grantham requesting an appointment. Arthur had wider responsibilities and much greater authority in Kingsley's new Ministry of Magic but he still wasn't used to high flyers like Grantham seeking him out. Grantham was regarded as one of the rising stars of the Wizengamot.

"What can I do for you Mr Grantham?" asked Arthur, after exchanging the usual pleasantries.

"I am hoping to stun two owls with one spell as it were, Mr Weasley. Firstly I like to get to know all senior officials in the Ministry, get their perspective on things. I believe it makes me a more effective member of the Wizengamot."

"I see," replied Arthur flatly, "and the second thing?"

"Is, perhaps, of a more personal nature."

Arthur raised his eye brow.

"I understand Miss Hermione Granger is currently living in your home," continued Grantham. "I have an offer to make to her. If it is something you believe she may be interested in I would ask you to pass it on."

"Why not approach Hermione directly?" asked Arthur.

"Even for a Wizengamot member it is not easy to see Miss Granger. I am sure you know this. I also suspect that she has been deluged with owls begging her for interviews or to endorse products from love potions to pumpkin juice. In such circumstances good opportunities can be missed."

"I will not dispute what you are saying. However I have to tell you I generally dislike people using their influence to gain special advantage."

"I admire your candour. Let me tell you a little about myself and what I have to offer. You can then decide for yourself if this is an improper use of influence or merely someone trying to set up effective communications," replied Grantham without any sign of concern.

"Go on."

"During the recent troubles I set up and ran an organisation to help the muggle born to places of safety, mostly in France. We helped over three hundred families. Naturally all this was done in secret. Now I want to run the process in reverse. The aim is to repatriate the muggle born and help them re integrate into wizarding society."

Arthur felt his jaw dropping and tried to cover his surprise. He was too slow. Grantham smiled.

"I understand your surprise. Smuggling refugees is not the expected behaviour of a conservative lawyer with political ambitions, especially one from an old and traditional family. That expectation certainly helped me to get away with it. I did it because what was happening was very wrong and I was in a position to do something about it."

"I will admit I am surprised. I still don't understand what Hermione has to do with this."

"The problem this last year has been secrecy. Now and into the future it is the opposite. We need visibility. We also need to be able to reassure the muggle born of our good faith. Many have little reason to trust the wizarding world. I believe Miss Granger can help with both problems. I would like to invite her to be the patron of the organisation. That of course is more of a figurehead position. If she would like to take a more active role in the organisation, I'd be happy to discuss that with her too."

"That is twice today that you have surprised me. I'm surprised you don't think Hermione is a little young for this role?"

"After what she, your son and Mr Potter have done? No, not at all."

"Well on that we can agree." Arthur was quiet for a moment, and then came to a decision. "I will pass on your proposal to Hermione, Mr Grantham. However, she is travelling at the moment and isn't expected back for at least two weeks. It may be several weeks before you get a response."

"Then I'll just have to wait. Thank you for your time, Mr Weasley."

**·****·**

"Ladies and gentlemen, as we start our descent into Sydney, please make sure your seat backs and tray tables are in their full upright position…"

"Thank Merlin!" thought Hermione. She couldn't take anymore of Ron's fidgeting. She was tired and irritable herself and for the last two hours he had been like a five year old at the end of a long road trip.

At the start of their journey Ron had been terrified. He was already overwhelmed by the hustle and bustle of Heathrow and all the procedures from check in to security. When they boarded the plane the reality of sitting in a narrow metal tube with no control over what was happening was just too much for him. He turned so white that his freckles almost jumped off his face. He clenched the armrest so tightly it almost broke. The air hostess didn't need her training to spot him as a first time flyer. She gave him her usual reassuring message on how safe the plane was, how experienced the captain.

"Yes," replied Ron, "but how do I get out if things go wrong?"

"Ah," she smiled "I suggest you watch the safety demonstration very closely." She then moved off to reassure Harry and Ginny who were almost as nervous as Ron.

Hermione leaned into Ron and whispered to him "are you a wizard or what?"

Ron looked at her blankly.

"You apparate out of here if things go wrong, silly," Hermione explained.

"Oh," said Ron checking to make sure his wand was in easy reach. He relaxed a little. When the plane hurtled down the runway and the acceleration pushed him back into the chair his mood changed completely. He was exhilarated. From the "wows' from the row behind him it was clear that Ginny and Harry were also excited. The broom rider in all three had been activated. As he watched the land fall away from them it was clear to Ron that they were soon flying higher and far faster than he had ever flown before. The continual roar of the engines communicated their raw power to him. He loved it. He was fascinated by the landscape they were overflying and gave Hermione an excited if somewhat inaccurate running commentary of what he could see and where they were. Hermione listened with apparent interest, happy that Ron had got over his nerves.

After he got tired of the scenery, Ron started to explore his immediate environment. The magazines in the seat pocket interested him far less than the barf bag which he thought was hilarious. He turned his attention to the buttons in his armrest and tried each in turn several times. Hermione told him to stop it as she had to cancel the hostess call button for the third time.

When the drinks trolley came around he was surprised when they didn't have any pumpkin juice.

"It doesn't have to be chilled," he replied.

"I'm sorry sir, we don't carry er pumpkin juice on this flight," she replied. As a hostess on an international airline she was used to unusual requests.

"Could I have a butter beer then?"

"We have Guinness, that's fairly bitter. Would you like that, sir?"

"Not 'bitter', 'butter', 'butter beer'"

"Er, no sir but I have Foster's lager, and I could give you some butter to put in it," She suggested uncertainly. They were both beginning to wonder what planet the other came from.

"He means 'Ginger Beer', we'll have two ginger beers please," intervened Hermione.

A few moments later Hermione almost lost control when she heard Ginny say, "could I have a pumpkin juice please?"

The arrival of dinner proved an ordeal. Hermione got tired of being hit in the face by Ron's elbow as he struggled to manage in the confined space. She hit him over the head with a rolled up magazine. "Would you _stop_ it," she commanded, "keep to your own space."

"How am I supposed to eat in such a narrow space," replied an exasperated Ron, "and how am I supposed to manage all these bits and pieces on this little tray?"

"Everyone else manage it, Ron."

What he actually managed to do was to spill his orange juice over Hermione and drop his cutlery on the floor. He used his wand surreptitiously to clean up the orange juice and summon his fallen utensils.

"When is seconds coming around?" asked Ron, "I'm starved."

"They don't give seconds to people who spill things, Ron."

After they watched a movie they all tried to sleep but none really succeeded. By the time they reached Singapore, fourteen hours after leaving Heathrow, they had all had it. They still had a two hour wait at Singapore then an eight hour flight to Sydney to go.

Now as they approached Sydney, Hermione thought back to the meeting they had had with Kingsley nearly a week ago. She had accompanied Ron when he had gone in to discuss the offer to become an auror. Kingsley had done his best to convince Ron to sign up sooner rather than later but had reluctantly agreed to a six month deferral. They had then explained the situation with Hermione's parents and asked his help in setting up international portkeys so they could travel to Australia.

Kingsley had known that Hermione's parents were in Australia but not the circumstances.

"Hermione, you should have told me sooner. You must be so worried. Let me contact the Australian ministry and well get things going. As for portkeys though, I'm afraid that's out of the question."

Hermione looked disappointed. "Why?"

"It's too far. The human body can only take apparition or portkey travel of about 3000 miles per day. Even under the best of circumstances it would take 4 days to get to Sydney. In practice more like a week. Muggle transport will get you there in a little over a day."

Hermione looked a little embarrassed; she should have known that.

"You mean aerioplanes?" asked Ron going green.

"They're perfectly safe, Ron. However, Kingsley, we don't have passports."

"Leave that to me Hermione." Kingsley reassured her.

Three days later Hermione had gotten a note from Kingsley saying her parents had been located. They were safe and were living and working in Sydney. She had nearly collapsed at the Weasley breakfast table and sobbed with relief. All she could do was pass the note to Ron who had read it to the table. He then gave her a big hug. Harry soon joined in the hug, adding "Everything is going to be just fine, Hermione." This time she believed him.

Hermione's thoughts jumped back into the present as she felt the planes landing gear snap into place. She watched out the window as the plane got lower and lower. They were flying over a bay. Just as it seemed they were about to ditch into the water a runway emerged and, thud, they were down and being thrown forward in their seats by the fierce deceleration. Hermione felt Ron's hand reach for hers.

"Excited, love?" he asked.

"A little. A little nervous too."

"It will be fine, Hermione." He leant over and gave her a kiss. "Welcome to Australia."

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were all relieved to be leaving the plane. They were very tired but also excited about the adventure they were about to have. As they entered the terminal they were surprised to be approached by a young man in his mid-twenties wearing a smart navy blue muggle suit and a warm smile. He was just a little shorter than Ron which made him much taller than the other three. He had longish though neat wavy brown hair and a face that, while not plump, gave a hint of someone who enjoyed the good life.

"Harry Potter, welcome to Australia," he said with warmth and enthusiasm. He gave Harry a firm double handed handshake.

"And you must be Ron Weasley… Hermione Granger… and Ginny Weasley, welcome to you all." He continued shaking each of their hands. "My name is George Lonnergan. The Australian Minister of Magic has asked me to welcome you on his behalf and help you get settled into your hotel."

"Nice to meet you George," replied a wary Harry.

"If you'd like to follow me we can circumvent all that immigration and customs rigmarole and get you quickly to your hotel," George continued. "Here, let me take those for you." He took Ginny and Hermione's hand luggage and headed off down a long corridor.

Harry didn't budge. The other three quickly stopped moving also. Realising they weren't following him, George turned back.

"I am sorry, George," said Harry checking that his wand could be quickly reached. "I have no way of knowing who you are, and therefore no reason to go with you."

George smiled. "Ah yes, Minister Shacklebolt advised you would require an ID check. He asked me to pass on this message as my bona fides. He said he was very pleased to escort Miss Granger from 4 Privet Drive when she wasn't quite herself and that as for Ron he still thinks six months is too long and hopes he will reconsider."

"Cheeky bugger," said Ron, "but that's definitely Kingsley."

"I understand your caution. Is there anything else you would like to ask me?"

"No, please lead on," replied Harry.

George led off as before this time followed by four weary travellers. Not far along, he ushered his charges through a door marked 'No Entrance' and then another that required a security card to enter. After walking along what looked like a service corridor for some distance, they descended some stairs and found themselves on the tarmac where a black limousine was waiting. They all climbed into the back to find the already spacious car interior had been magically extended, so they were in effect in a small and very comfortable lounge room."

As the car sped off George offered them all a chilled pumpkin juice. "I bet Qantas didn't offer you that on the flight."

"Not wrong there," replied Ron.

George laughed. "We Aussies can't understand the passion you English wizards have for the stuff. None of us would touch it. Same goes for butter beer. We all prefer the real thing. Still you'll find your hotel room fully stocked with it."

"That's good to know," said Ginny, trying to stifle a yawn.

"I should tell you I have taken the liberty of cancelling your hotel reservations," confessed George in a casual tone.

"Pardon?" said Harry feeling a little disoriented and a little annoyed at this announcement. He had booked them all into a business hotel in North Sydney that seemed of a good standard and was close to where Hermione's parents were living.

"The Australian Ministry of Magic would like to extend its hospitality to you. We have made arrangements for you to stay in a slightly better hotel in the Rocks area of Sydney at our expense. It is the least we can do to show our gratitude for what you have done."

"I'm sorry, but I don't understand. Why should the Australian Ministry feel so much gratitude for what we did in Britain? I can't see how it affected you all the way out here," replied Harry.

"Do you really not understand how long a shadow Lord Voldemort cast around the globe?" George looked genuinely surprised. "It's not just the large numbers of refugees we have been receiving here in Australia from Britain and even Europe, including, I might add, Hermione's parents. There are many of us who believe we were headed towards a global war between wizards. You didn't think the rest of the world was going to stand by as Voldemort expanded his control into Europe and beyond?" George looked at each of them before continuing with great sincerity, "The gratitude is very real, very profound. We would feel very upset if you felt unable to accept this small measure of our thanks."

All four were gobsmacked. It was Hermione who spoke. "We appreciate your kindness in this and also your assistance with locating my parents."

"It truly is a pleasure."

Conversation lapsed for a little while. As they got closer to the hotel, George spoke again. "It's about 9:00 am. May I suggest that once you settle into your rooms you take a three hour nap? Set an alarm and get up. You will very much not want to do it, but get up anyway. Have lunch, go for a walk and explore the area. Go to bed at the normal time. Again your body won't want to do it, but do it anyway. We Australians have a lot of experience dealing with jet lag and this is the way to do it. Otherwise you will be out of sorts for days and days."

"OK we'll do what you suggest," said Hermione. "Tomorrow I want to go and see my parents."

"Ah, there's a little problem with that…Oh no, there's nothing wrong, Hermione," he quickly added as he saw the look of distress spread across her face. "They've gone to Perth for a dental conference. They should be back in two days' time on Wednesday."

"Maybe we should go straight to Perth," suggested Ron.

"Well you can if you really want to spend another five hours on a plane," replied George. "Mind, by the time you got there it would almost be time to turn around and come back again. I suggest you take a couple of days to relax and adjust to the new time zone. Then you'll be fresh when Hermione's parents return."

"I guess that's best," conceded Hermione reluctantly, much to the relief of the other three.

Their limousine soon turned into a driveway. As they exited the car George said something to the porter who took all their hand luggage. Harry noticed the name on the hotel, The Sydney Park Hyatt, but it meant nothing to him. There was nothing special about the street. It looked downright plain. As he entered the lobby he did a double take, as did his companions. He was in a most elegant room with granite columns, a beautiful timber parquet floor and exquisite oriental carpets. The area was tastefully furnished with comfortable looking lounges in subtle tones. The far wall was entirely glass and framed a magnificent view of the Sydney Opera House.

In a half dream state they were shown to an antique desk.

George said "I have to leave you now. Call me if you need anything." He handed each of them his business card that simply said '_**George Lonnergan**__ – catalyst'_ and gave his mobile phone number. "I'll meet you all tomorrow morning here at 10:00am and take you on a tour. I'll leave you in the capable hands of Veronique here. You'll take special care of them, won't you Veronique?" he added.

"As always Mr Lonnergan."

"Good." He turned on his heels and left before the four travellers had a chance to say anything.

Veronique, who wore a badge saying _'Guest Relations Manager'_ signalled for them to be seated and quickly took them through registration. "Let me show you to your rooms. You'll be staying in the '_Sydney'_ suite which I hope you'll find adequate." She escorted them to the fourth floor and to a room with large double doors.

If the four had been impressed with the lobby that was nothing as to what they experienced now. They entered into the most beautifully furnished lounge room they had ever seen. It was about twice the size of the combined lounge/kitchen area of the Burrow. There were also three oversized bedrooms each elegantly furnished in a different style, each with their own exquisite bathroom. There was even a large dining room with a gorgeous French polished table with seating for twelve.

The rooms themselves each had wonderful views. Most opened onto a large patio where the view was nothing less than breathtaking. It afforded a wide panorama taking in the Harbour Bridge, Sydney's magnificent harbour, the Opera house and the city centre.

Veronique showed them the features of the suite and advised them a butler was on 24 hour call should they need anything. She then left.

"Wow," exclaimed Ron "I had no idea that muggle hotels were so magnificent. I thought they'd all be like the shoebox we stayed at in Egypt."

"Shoebox is the norm," replied Hermione who was still reeling. "This is just beyond…" She was lost for words. When she recovered the gift of speech, she added, "This is possibly the best hotel suite in Sydney. It must be costing someone a fortune. They are either very grateful as George says or they very much want something from us."

"Maybe both," replied Harry.

"Who cares," added Ginny. I'm having a shower then going to bed.

"Good idea!" agreed Ron and both he and Hermione moved to their bedroom.

"You know there are two bed's in your room, Harry," said Ginny suggestively when they were alone.

"We both gave your parents our word that we would sleep in separate rooms. That was the condition on which they allowed you to come with us. I have no intention of breaking my word."

"I know, I know, noble Harry and all that. I'm going to have a shower." Ginny stormed off in a huff.

"Besides," Harry thought to himself, "we'd only need one bed if you moved into my room." He headed off for a shower.


	14. Dinner Party

Chapter 14: Dinner Party

Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny spent the rest of their first day in Sydney much as George had suggested. After a nap of several hours they got up, had lunch at one of the many restaurants in the Rocks and then walked to the other side of Circular Quay and to the Opera House. They then had a pleasant stroll through the Botanic Gardens that stretch along the harbour foreshore. Eventually they headed back to their hotel for a light dinner and an early night.

The next morning George collected them from the hotel lobby at 10:00 am as promised. It was a beautiful sunny late autumn day, neither hot nor cold. After a quick car trip up George Street, they found themselves outside the Town Hall. To their right was a lovely though very elaborate building in the Romanesque style. It took up an entire city block.

"This is the Queen Victoria Building, built in the late nineteenth century," said George. "Pierre Cardin described it as 'the most beautiful shopping centre in the world'." Only Hermione had heard of Pierre Cardin.

"As far as muggles are concerned it has three levels above ground and one below." He passed each of them a small slip of paper. "This is from the secret keeper for the building."

As each of them read the paper the building appeared to grow upwards, with two new levels becoming visible between the roof with its glass domes and what used to be the top level.

"Welcome to Sydney's 'Diagon Alley'. We call it the Queen Victoria Extensions, or more usually, the QVE."

As they entered the building they could see the interior was built 'gallery' style allowing natural light to penetrate from the glass domes to all levels of the building. They took the escalator to the fourth floor, the first 'magical' floor. It was quite busy. Many people were dressed in ordinary muggle clothing, though some wore more traditional wizarding robes. Most of the shops would not have looked out of place in Diagon Alley. There was _Applebaum's Apothecary_ selling ingredients for potions of all sorts, _Mad Marge's Magical Menagerie_ and even a branch of _Flourish and Blotts_. Hermione couldn't resist entering, dragging her companions along with her. Twenty minutes later they dragged her out, but not before she had bought a copy of _Australia, a Magical History_.

"I'm surprised you use ordinary muggle money in these shops," remarked Hermione to George.

"Yes, we've never seen the need for a separate currency. It certainly makes things easier."

They stopped outside _Wanderful_, their attention arrested not by the awful name but by a display of wand holsters. None of them had ever heard of a wand holster. They went inside to find out more. The young shop keeper gave an enthusiastic demonstration. The holster had two parts; a wrist band that had a miniature wand embedded in it and a small silk sheath that had a magical extension charm on it. You placed your wand in the sheath and put it in a pocket or anywhere convenient. The miniature wand has just enough power so you could use a sub vocal summoning charm that instantly placed the wand in your hand ready for instant action. Time and time again the shop keeper placed the wand in the sheath, placed the sheath in a pocket or a sock, and then instantly summoned the wand into his hand.

"How come the wand doesn't rip your clothes when you summon it?" asked Hermione, amazed but perplexed.

"You don't use _Accio_," he replied "you use a variation developed by the inventor of the holster. The spell is _Arcesso_."

He showed all four how to use the holster and after a few tries they were all succeeding in rapidly bringing their wands to hand."

Hermione, Ron and Harry were all staring at each other in amazement. They were all thinking how useful these would have been during their last year.

What the shopkeeper said next bowled them over.

"The holster works with up to three wands. No self-respecting Aussie wizard would go into battle without at least one spare wand."

"Who invented these?" asked Harry, determined to find out all he could.

"Anton Gregorovitch at your service, Mr Potter," he said offering a handshake.

"You know who I am?" asked Harry not entirely surprised, shaking Anton's hand.

"It's not as if photos of all four of you haven't been in our local papers at least half a dozen times in the last two weeks. And of course you're walking around with George here, which always draws attention. I'd be surprised if anyone in this shopping centre doesn't know who you are. "

"I have noticed we've been getting a lot of furtive glances, but apart from people waving at George, no one has said anything." Hermione was beginning to wonder exactly who George was.

"Well, word has been put out that your privacy is to be respected while you are visiting Australia." replied Anton.

Harry made a connection. "Gregorovitch, any relation to-".

"Great grandson of the great Gregorovitch, My grandparents immigrated to Australia after the second world war. As you can see I'm still carrying on the family tradition. "

"You're not wrong there. These holsters are brilliant," said Harry.

Each of them bought one. Harry bought three more. He intended to send them to Kingsley as quickly as possible for evaluation by the Auror's office.

They spent the next hour exploring the QVE. There was even a joke shop called _Newt's Novelties_. Ron took a copy of the catalogue and decided to come back later for a closer look at the stock.

They left the QVE by apparition arriving in a non-descript room with a single door that opened onto Circular Quay wharf.

"There is a network of apparition points in most public and many private buildings in Sydney, as in most Australian cities. To muggles they look like ordinary storage rooms, but they allow us to quickly navigate around the city without risk of detection," explained George. He gave each of them a map of the public apparition points and then showed them how to use it to find apparition points near their starting point and their destination.

"The map knows where you are and you can also zoom in and out to make navigating easier."

"Wicked," said Ron.

George then took them on a ferry ride to Manly. This suburb was on a peninsula with one side facing the harbour, the other the ocean.

"We could easily apparate but the ferry ride is so much more fun," said George.

Indeed the four found it very enjoyable being out on the water on such a beautiful day. They were fascinated by all the varieties of sailing boats flying before the wind in vigorous competition around the harbour.

They had a light lunch at one of the many seafood restaurants overlooking the ocean beach. The maître de greeted George like a long lost friend. After some further exploration George announced he had to leave them but invited them to a dinner party that evening at his home where they could meet some other young Australians. They accepted.

After George left, Hermione announced she wanted to look at the place where her parents were living, even though she knew they weren't due back till tomorrow. They were living in the suburb of Gordon to the north of the city. Using the map they found a public apparition point in a library within easy walking distance from the home and quickly travelled there.

Hermione's parents were living in a pleasant leafy street. Their home was a little smaller than the one they had in England but looked fine. There was no sign of any potential danger, all looked peaceful and quiet. Realising there was nothing they could really do they decided to return to their hotel.

Early that evening, Harry, Ron, Hermione and Ginny were sitting on the balcony of their suite, entranced by the light reflecting off the water of Circular Quay. To their right, the lights of the city office towers shimmered. In front, across the quay, the pearl white sails of the Opera House were brightly illuminated. The quay was busy with passenger ferries ploughing back and forth and various cruise boats loading passengers for dinner cruises on the harbour. It was an entrancing scene. It was with some reluctance they tore themselves away and apparated to George's apartment.

George's other guests appeared to be in their early twenties and all seemed to know one another. George introduced each of them to the four.

"This is my sister, Michelle," he said indicating a very attractive blonde. She was as short as Ginny but with a fuller figure.

"And this is Simon, Barry, Cara and Ariadne. Ariadne is my girlfriend," George confided, "Or at least I hope she still is. The fact she is here is a good sign."

"Very funny, George," said Ariadne looking a little embarrassed. "We had a little contretemps last week, but I decided to forgive him, Merlin knows why."

"I'm irresistible, that's why, everyone says so," replied George hamming it up.

"So, has my irresistible brother being showing you the sights?" asked Michelle, still laughing.

"Oh yes," replied Hermione "He's been very kind. He certainly knows his way around. I'm surprised everywhere we go people seem to know him."

All George's friends smiled.

"He hasn't told you has he?" asked Michelle with a knowing grin.

"Told us what?" asked Harry.

"Well if you ask George, he'll tell you our father only has his job because George is so popular. Others, less kind, might suggest that George is so well known only because of our father. You'll have to work out for yourselves where the truth lies."

"Exactly who is your father?" asked Ron.

"Hopefully you'll meet him later. His name is Kevin Lonnergan. He's the Australian Minister of Magic," answered Michelle.

"Blimey George, you could have told us," swore Ron.

"People tend to treat me differently when they find out who my father is. I like to be judged on my own merits," explained George. "The people I've gathered here to meet you tonight do just that. They are my true friends."

Harry nodded with understanding. "I understand George. All my life I've been famous for something that happened when I was a baby. Something I don't even remember. None of that mattered to Hermione or Ron here. To them I've always been just Harry. It is very precious."

This little exchange broke the ice and everyone relaxed.

"So tell me," asked Hermione deciding to get the ball rolling, "what do you all do?"

"I'm studying literature at Sydney University," said Michelle.

"Muggle literature at a muggle university?" asked Hermione both surprised and excited.

"Yes, yes, it is quite common in Australia," replied Michelle.

"I'm at Sydney Uni too," added Barry. "I'm doing a Doctorate in Magical Physics."

"Magical Physics?" asked Hermione.

"Yes it's a combination of muggle physics and the theory of magic. It's an attempt to understand the physical basis of magic and incorporate it into standard physics."

"Your studying magic in a muggle physics school?"

"No, the analysis of magic is done in a hidden adjunct wizards only school at the university, but we use muggle techniques and we are also members of the muggle physics school," clarified Barry.

Harry, Ron and Ginny were surprised but Hermione was reeling. She was like a little girl who thought she had read everything in the library only to find there were four more floors. Her mind was popping with all sorts of possibilities and she was becoming overwhelmed. She hardly heard Simon announce that he was a computer specialist. Her attention returned when he added he managed the Ministry of magic's computer systems. Computer's in the ministry of magic? What she heard next flawed not only Hermione, but Harry, Ron and Ginny as well.

"Simon is a muggle, by the way," said George.

After a lengthy silence George added, "I think we've managed to overwhelm our English guests." He paused for a moment then continued in a sympathetic tone.

"What you need to understand is that in Australia the wizarding community is far less isolated from the muggle community than is common in Britain and Europe. We abide by the International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy, of course, and keep our existence hidden from the muggle population at large. We also hold onto our traditional culture, but we participate fully in the mainstream muggle culture as well."

"How can you abide by the Statute if you have muggles working in the ministry?" asked Hermione dumbfounded.

"Your parents know about the magical world don't they, Hermione?"

Ignoring that, just at the moment, they didn't, Hermione replied "well yes, but that's different."

"How so?" pressed George.

"They don't work in the ministry for a start, and they had to know because of me."

"Well I don't suppose there's a great need for dentists in the Ministry, but what if there were? What would the British Ministry of Magic do if it needed dentists and no wizard was qualified?"

Hermione had no answer.

"As it happens Simon's brother is a muggle born wizard, so Simon did 'need to know' as you put it, but he is employed by the ministry because of his skills."

"There's quite a few muggles working at the ministry," added Simon, "and they don't all have family connections as I do."

"I'm just as surprised the Australian Ministry actually uses computers. The British Ministry wouldn't touch them with a barge pole," offered Harry.

"I can just imagine some old pure blood aristocratic English wizard trying to operate a computer, 'What do you mean I have to turn it on'," mocked Barry. The Aussies all broke out laughing. Hermione and Harry tried to suppress a giggle looking guiltily at Ron and Ginny.

George held up his hands, looking at Ginny and Ron. "Sorry, we don't mean to offend. It's just that the level of ignorance of British and European wizards and witches about muggle society, especially among purebloods, strikes us as very odd."

"Dangerous too," added Ariadne, "We have some pure blood fanatics here too, but blood prejudice is very much a minority thing here. Most of us have at least one muggle friend."

"We all go to a normal muggle primary school," continued Michelle, "and although we go to special magical high school we follow the muggle high school curriculum as well as specialist magical subjects."

"Wow, sounds like a heavy workload, I hope you still find time for important stuff like Quidditch," said Ginny.

George put hand on heart and said "Quidditch is sacred Ginny; nothing gets in the way of Quidditch." He then broke into boisterous rendition of what had to be a team song, promptly joined by Barry and Cara. Michelle and Hermione both rolled their eyes.

"Not here too?" said an exasperated Hermione.

"You shouldn't have started George on Quidditch," laughed Ariadne.

"Prize beater for the Sydney Fantasticals two years running, I was," boasted George, "We beat Melbourne both years, I knocked their star seeker off his perch both times." He demonstrated giving an almighty wack to a bludger. Harry winced.

"But how do you fit all the lessons in, surely something has to give," asked Hermione trying desperately to get off Quidditch.

"I'm sure it does," replied Michelle. "For example, you four probably know a lot more than any of us about making specific potions, apart from Cara who is a specialist potion maker. We concentrate on theory and learning techniques. Then we can always follow a procedure in a book if we need to. Frankly I don't see the point of learning a whole lot of procedures off by heart like you Brits do."

"But it's not just rote learning, there is so much magic to learn and you have to learn the theory and then practice it to make it your own."

"Yes, you're right Hermione, it's all about trade-offs really," continued Michelle. "I don't want to sound offensive, but there was no way I was going to give up studying literature and music so I could learn to transform a pencil into a porcupine in five different colours. I mean, when would I ever need to do that?"

"And there's no way I would have given up studying muggle mathematics and science," chipped in Barry.

Sensing his British guests were about to be overwhelmed again, George intervened. "It might be a good time to go into dinner. Could you all please move to the table? As they moved to the table Michelle got in one more shot. "You know, Hermione, you don't have to learn everything while you're still at school, you can still continue your education once you leave school."

The first course was served, sesame prawns with beans sprout and snow pea salad. Ron was hungry enough that he would eat anything and Harry and Hermione both seemed to enjoy the dish. Ginny was a little more dubious but in the end seemed to enjoy the food as well.

"Up to your usual standards, George," said Clara who truly seemed to relish the dish. Conversation settled onto what they had done in Sydney so far, and then moved onto suggestions for other things they might want to see and do. Ron then commented how long the flight was from London starting a general exchange of horror travel stories among the Aussies.

The main course was then served; slow cooked beef with a port wine reduction. "I thought you might like a touch of home," said George.

Ron tucked right in with great gusto, winning a look of disapproval from Hermione.

"Wow," said Ron, "this beef is brilliant. It is so tender. It puts the house elves at Hogwarts to shame."

"The house elves at Hogwarts are slaves, aren't they?" accused Ariadne frostily. An abrupt silence fell on the table. Hermione eventually spoke up.

"Yes, Ariadne, they are slaves, though most English wizards would object strongly to that term."

"I don't know how you could have eaten food prepared by slaves!" Ariadne continued.

"Now Ariadne, this isn't the time or -"

"Don't you 'now Ariadne' me, George, you feel just as strongly on this subject as I do."

"Hermione went on a hunger strike when she first heard of the house elves at Hogwarts," started Ron, "but she finally realised the only thing that was going to happen was she was going to starve to death. She then started S.P.E.W. to campaign for elf rights. Harry freed a house elf from a vicious master when he was in second year. We are not unsympathetic. The issue is complex though."

"What's complex, slavery is wrong, full stop," asserted Ariadne.

"There is one free elf at Hogwarts," said Harry. "She's an alcoholic. She regards the day she was set free as the worst day of her life. I inherited an old house elf a little while ago. He went berserk when I offered to set him free, it nearly killed him. He begged me not to do it."

"You own a slave!" shouted Ariadne, glaring at Harry as she jumped to her feet.

"No I don't, as Kreacher knows he is able to choose freedom whenever he wants. He also has access to any funds he wants so he is paid too. I don't like the situation and I didn't ask for it, but I'm not going to apologise for it either."

"Sit down Ariadne!" commanded George. "Do you remember who you are talking to, what they have done?"

Ariadne blushed and promptly sat down. "I'm sorry; it's just that I care about this issue very much. You must think me very rude. Here you have been risking your lives, fighting real evil and all I've ever done is talk about it. I'm sorry."

"Don't apologise for passionately defending the things you care about, Ariadne," said Ron. "I'd have to spend half my life apologising if I did that."

"I don't understand," said Ginny. "How are house elves treated in Australia?"

"They were freed by an act of the Australian Convocation of Wizards in 1921," explained Ariadne. "They can leave their employer whenever they choose, they must be paid a minimum amount and physical punishment is banned. The North Americans did the same in the 1960's"

"How has that worked out," asked Hermione very interested to find out.

"Well, there are still a lot of abuses," replied Ariadne.

"Ariadne is a lawyer working in the area of the rights of magical creatures," added George.

"I have always wanted to work in that area myself," said Hermione thoughtfully, "although after recent events I'm wondering whether I should concentrate on the rights of muggles and the muggle-born and fighting blood prejudice."

"It's not for me to tell you where your priorities should lay, Hermione," said George, "but I don't think you can fight one without the other. We all read what you said in your press conference and what Harry said at the Memorial service. It seems to me that that is what you were saying too."

"Your speech on respect moved me deeply, Harry," continued Ariadne, "It hit home for a lot of us. I thought it was marvellous."

"It was because of that speech that I asked my father for this assignment and made sure we put you up in decent accommodation," added George. "Don't get me wrong, there are an awful lot of folk who are both mightily impressed and appreciative of what you have done, but we don't usually put visiting heroes and celebrities up at the Sydney Suite at the Park Hyatt."

"So why have you done so this time. What do you really want from us? No offense George, but we've been wondering that since we arrived."

"It's simple really," said George, "we want you to thrive. We want you to succeed. We want to encourage you to use your influence to push reform in your own country and perhaps Europe as well."

"I think you vastly overestimate our importance," said Harry.

"Perhaps, but I don't think so," replied George.

"This is all very well and good," said Ron, "but I don't see why you Australians should really care that much about what happens on the other side of the world."

"Wizarding society in Australia is a true democracy. That's very rare," explained Barry, "only New Zealand and North America are the same. In most countries the old families control the government much like they do in England. Many of them don't like what we are doing here. We're too close to muggles, we're losing our way, they say. They see us as a threat. There has even been talk of intervention."

George took up the thread. "It's in our interest to support reform wherever we can around the globe, even if all that means is opening up a dialogue with like-minded people. That's my hidden agenda, Harry."

There was silence for a moment, and then Hermione spoke for the four of them.

"George, I think that is something that we'd be happy to go along with. You are right; we do hope to have some impact on the way our society runs, though at this stage we are still not clear on our precise aims or how we are going to achieve them. We're complete novices. We are not alone though. I'd very much like to learn more about the things discussed tonight, about the things you are doing here."

"Good, good," boomed George. "I'm sure we can organise a few more get togethers and introduce you to some other people you might find interesting. The next few days though I'm guessing you want to reserve for you parents, Hermione."

"Definitely," replied Hermione, feeling a little guilty that she hadn't thought about them all night.

"But first, for something even more important," said George, his eyes lighting up, "…dessert!"


	15. Something so Important

Chapter 15: Something So Important

The four were standing on a leafy suburban street about 100 yards from Hermione's parents' home. Hermione went through the plan one more time. It was a very simple plan.

"If I don't come out within 30 minutes go back to the hotel and wait for me to contact you."

"Yes, Hermione," replied Ron, "we got it the fifth time. Are you sure you don't want me to come in with you?" Hermione was clearly very nervous and Ron was concerned.

"No Ron, I have to do this myself. It will just complicate things for my parents if you're there. We've been through this."

Ron still wasn't convinced.

"All right, here goes," and she turned and walked to her parents' home.

She stood at the front door for several minutes before finally ringing the bell. No one answered. Hermione was about to leave when she heard the door opening.

"It's you!" said her mother looking shocked.

That was the last thing Hermione expected to hear. Her surprise, her anxiousness and her relief at seeing her mother alive and well combined, putting her off balance.

"You know me?" she asked.

"Yes…and no. It's like I've always known you ….but then I don't know you at all. I'm sorry I must sound a little confused.

"Maybe I can help," replied Hermione. "May I come in?"

Hermione's mother eyed her with growing apprehension. Her need to understand overcame her fear and in a small, tentative voice she replied "yes." She showed Hermione into a comfortable, well lit lounge room and indicated a sofa. Hermione sat down. Her attention was immediately attracted by a large and very well executed drawing that was hung on the wall. It was a very accurate portrait of Hermione. She froze.

"It's you, isn't it?" asked her mother.

"Did you draw that?" asked Hermione. Her mother had always had a talent for drawing but this was far better than anything she had done before.

Her mother nodded, "I see you in my dreams. It's a little frightening to see you in the flesh."

"Perhaps if you could ask da… your husband to join us I might be able to explain."

Jean Granger hesitated for a moment but then she walked to the stairwell and called out "Robert, could you come to the lounge room please. We have a guest."

She turned back to Hermione and said "he won't be long. Can I get you something; a cup of tea perhaps."

"Tea would be nice, thank you."

A few minutes later she returned with a black tea with no sugar, just as Hermione always took it. Robert Granger entered the room. He was about to give Hermione a cordial greeting when he suddenly stopped. He looked from Hermione to the portrait and back again.

"It's you," was all he could say. Hermione nodded.

After a while he added, "I don't want to sound abrupt, but can you explain who you are and why my wife has become obsessed with the image of someone she has never met or even seen before, someone who it now appears is very real and just happens to walk through our front door?"

Hermione shrunk from the aggressive tone. She was finding it very hard to be having a conversation with her parents when they didn't know who she was.

"Perhaps if you both sit down, I can help you find an answer."

Warily they both sat down opposite her. She whipped out her wand and quickly stunned them, then started the lengthy counter spells to restore their memory. When she was done she reversed the stunning spell.

"Just relax, you're both going to feel disoriented and nauseous for a little while, then you will be fine," said Hermione with a calmness she didn't feel. She watched as her parents went through the unpleasant process of memory reintegration as their old true memories displaced the false. They would still retain memories of their recent real life as Wendell and Monica Wilkins.

Her father recovered first. He was staring hard at Hermione. He stared at her for a long time.

"You did it," he accused. "We said no, but you did it anyway."

"I didn't have a choice; they would have killed you, Dad."

"You can't know that, Hermione," he spat with such vehemence that Hermione was silenced.

"So why have you come back now, got tired of your little adventure have we?"

"It's over."

"Good, maybe you can explain to your mother why she has spent night after night obsessed with trying to capture an image she knew was so important but couldn't remember. Maybe you can explain why for the last year we have both felt this huge emptiness inside as if something important had been ripped out of our lives though we had no idea what it was."

"Dad –"

"Maybe you can use that brain of yours to work out how we are going to get out of the hole you have dug for us. Didn't it occur to you that you were turning us into criminals; we are illegal immigrants using false identities. We've been practicing dentistry for the best part of a year with false credentials."

"Dad –"

"We were just about to sign a contract to buy a dental practice here, under false names I might add. Heavens knows what has happened to our practice in London. It took years of work to build that up."

"Dad, I had to do it." Hermione was close to tears.

"It wasn't your choice to make, Hermione. I never thought I would see the day when you turned your power against your own parents. You betrayed our trust. You betrayed us."

Hermione was deeply upset and broke into tears unable to say anything.

"Robert," said Hermione's mother, reaching out a hand to stay her husband. She had been shell shocked, first by her recovered memories and then by Robert's angry tirade. She was angry too but was becoming increasingly upset for her daughter. She was about to say more when the doorbell rang. In a semi daze she went to answer.

"Ron isn't it?" she said recognising the gangling red haired boy who had featured so much in Hermione's letter's home over so many years. A part of her mind noted that perhaps Ron was no longer a boy. He had certainly filled out since she had last seen him, but more than that, there was something else, an inner quality that hadn't been there before.

"Good afternoon Mrs Granger," Ron said politely.

"You better come in," she replied and showed him into the lounge room.

Ron immediately saw that Hermione was very distressed. Ignoring Robert Granger for the moment, he moved to her and sat by her side. She immediately put her arms around his waist and silently sobbed into his shoulder. Ron folded Hermione in his arms and comforted her.

Mr Granger glared at Ron then said, "I suppose you've been off on this adventure too."

Ron immediately felt his anger rising. He knew he had to control it for Hermione's sake. The last thing Harry said to him when he announced he was going in, despite Hermione's instructions, was "Ron, remember these are Hermione's parents. She loves them. Don't get angry or insult them, it won't help anyone."

Ron took a few deep breaths then spoke in a measured tone, "Mr Granger, Hermione said to me that her parents would hate her for what she had done. I told her that wasn't possible, that you loved her. I hope I wasn't wrong."

These words cut Mr Granger deeply. They brought Mrs Granger close to tears.

"Who are you to be telling me how I should act with my own daughter," Mr Granger said angrily.

"The man who loves your daughter," Ron replied calmly.

"Man?" he laughed mockingly, "boy, more like. Hermione had no right to do what she did."

"She saved your lives."

"You can't know that!"

"Yes, actually, I can." Ron said firmly. He continued, with great deliberation, speaking simply and calmly.

"These are the simple facts. Four days after Hermione altered your memories, two days after you left for Australia, the wizarding government fell and Lord Voldemort effectively became the government with the full power of the Ministry of Magic behind him. He immediately made his top priority finding and killing Harry Potter. Known close associates of Harry were top of the target list. That meant Hermione and I. Harry, Hermione and I went on the run. Two days later a squad of Death Eaters, followers of Voldemort, invaded your home in London. They trashed it and scrawled ugly messages such as 'Death to all Mudbloods' on the walls. That was your daughter they were referring to as a mudblood. I have no doubt whatsoever based on what they did in many other cases that if you had been there they would have tortured you to find out where Hermione was. They wouldn't have cared much whether you knew or not. They would have tortured you until there was nothing left of your mind. Then they would have killed you."

Both Mr and Mrs Granger had gone deathly pale. They were staring at Ron in disbelief.

"Let me tell you a little about our little adventure as you put it," Ron continued relentlessly, in measured tones, without anger. "We were on the run, most of the time living in a tent, changing locations every few days to avoid detection. We were often cold and hungry, but we had a mission. We knew what had to be done to defeat Voldemort, something only _we_ could do, something we _had_ to do. It took us nine months. We had to take a lot of risks. We each came close to being killed on several occasions. At one point we were captured." Ron halted, the emotion catching in his throat, a tear coming to his eye. "Hermione got the worst of it. Your daughter, Mr Granger, was tortured. Harry and I couldn't get to her. We just couldn't. Finally, with help, we escaped and rescued her."

Ron paused once more gather in his emotions. Both of Hermione's parents were rigid with horror as Ron continued with the story.

"Despite what she'd been through, Hermione soon joined us planning the next step in our mission. The whole thing culminated in a great battle a little over two weeks ago. We won at great cost. Harry killed Voldemort and now it's all over. We've been to a lot of funerals of good people since then, including that of my brother Fred. Now we've come to Australia for you."

There was silence for a while. Both Hermione's parents were unable to speak.

Ron continued. "The last nine months have been very hard but there has hardly been a day when Hermione hasn't thought about you, hoped you were well and safe, hoped you would forgive her, hoped you would understand."

It was too much for Jean. She hurried to her daughter and took her in her arms. "Of course we forgive you Hermione my darling. I'm so sorry; thank God you're safe now." She held Hermione tightly. "Thank God I have you back." They both wept in each other's arms.

"Love you Mum," said Hermione.

"Love you too sweetheart."

Robert, still looking distressed, moved to Hermione and took her from her mother's arms. He folded her in his. "I'm sorry Hermione, can you forgive me sweetheart. I was shocked and angry. I didn't understand."

"I'm sorry too, Dad, can you forgive me?" said Hermione quietly still very anxious.

"Of course sweetheart."

"You don't hate me then?"

Robert held Hermione by the shoulders and looked her in the eyes. "Hermione, we could never hate you. This young man was right about that. We love you, we always will." He crushed her to him and for the first time in many years he wept. After a while he pulled in his wife and they shared a three way hug.

Ron sat on the couch, looking on at this reunion and felt very pleased with himself. When the others finally noticed him, he stood up and announced, "Perhaps I should leave you three to catch up with each other."

"You don't have to go, Ron," said Jean.

Ron looked at Hermione to see what she wanted.

"Why don't you go and tell Harry and Ginny everything is fine and then come back in about half an hour," said Hermione.

"We could all go out for a celebratory dinner later. There's a nice restaurant near here that I've wanted to try," suggested Jean.

"The Australian Ministry has put us up at nice hotel with a view of the harbour. Maybe you could join us there for dinner. You could meet with Harry and my sister Ginny," suggested Ron.

"It really is a nice view," chimed in Hermione.

"If that's what you want sweetheart, then that's what we'll do," said Jean.

"I'll be back in about half an hour" said Ron. Hermione gave him a big hug and a kiss and a heartfelt thank you. Ron then turned on the spot and disappeared with a clap of sound.

"Well that's the way to make an exit!" said Jean. "Is that what you call disapparating?"

"Yes Mum."

"It sounds so good to be called mum again. Let's look at you Hermione."

Jean gave her daughter a thorough looking over. "Oh Hermione, you're so thin." She felt a new tear come to her eye.

"I was worse a couple of weeks ago. Molly Weasley has been trying to fatten me up."

"Is that a scar on your neck? How did you get that?" Jean asked, dreading the answer.

"You don't want to know that, Mum."

"Yes we do Hermione," replied her father firmly. "It's fairly clear that you've been holding back a fair bit over the years. We need a new start here, OK"

"OK Dad. I will tell you everything. We took Ron's family through the whole story and we'll do the same for you, but not today OK. It's too much. We did what we had to do, we won, it's all over and we're alive; let that be enough for now."

Both her parents could see the pained almost haunted look in Hermione's eyes. It affected them deeply. "OK sweetheart, whenever you're ready."

"Let's sit down and we can talk about something else," said Jean. "How about I get everyone some tea?" She went to the kitchen.

"Hermione," her father started, "even when we didn't know you existed we still missed you. Don't ever doubt we love you. Nothing could ever change that. Just don't shut us out of your life, OK. We know we can't share in every part of your life but we still want to be part of it."

"OK Dad."

When Jean returned she served tea then sat down next to her husband. "Now Hermione you can tell us all about Ron."

"Ron?"

"Don't act dumb Miss Granger; you know exactly what I'm asking. That was an impressive performance your young man just put on. You're not going to deny he is your young man are you?"

"No," she answered quietly looking at her father.

He smiled and said "I have to say I was very impressed too. It takes a lot of courage and control to say to a girl's father what he said to me. He must care for you very much."

"He loves me, Dad, and I love him, very much. He's the one for me."

"He has been for a long time if I'm not mistaken," said Jean.

"Yes, though as everyone keeps telling us, it's taken us a long time to work it out."

Jean looked her daughter straight in the eye and asked "so how long have you two been lovers?"

Hermione almost choked on her tea. "Mum!" Hermione protested but Jean just raised her eyebrows and waited for an answer. Robert looked stunned.

"How did you know?"

"The way you touch, the way you look at each other. It's obvious."

"For about two weeks, from a few days after the battle."

Robert's mouth was agape. Fighting but failing to gain some semblance of control he blurted out a series of questions and statements without seeming connection. "You've been staying at the Weasleys haven't you, they don't object? You haven't gotten married have you? I thought they were fairly straight laced about these sorts of things. He better never hurt you."

"No Dad, we haven't gotten married though I'm pretty sure one day we will, and no, The Weasleys don't object. They understand the strength of our relationship. And Dad, Ron would _never, never_ hurt me. He would protect me at the cost of his own life. That's not an empty phrase. In the last nine months he has demonstrated that in real situations. When I was tortured he begged them to take him instead. He's a good, good man, Dad, and I love him very much."

It was clear that both her parents were deeply moved. Robert, though, felt there was something he needed to say.

"Hermione, don't take this the wrong way, I just want you to be sure. Sometimes when people undergo traumatic events they can mistake - "

"Dad, I know what you're going to say. It isn't true in our case. If it did anything, the trauma blew away all the nonsense so we could both clearly see what was already there. Nearly losing each other made us see how precious what we have is. When we completed our mission, we weren't going to hold back any more. The Weasleys could see this. That is why they didn't object, even though as you say, they are fairly conservative."

Hermione paused. She saw her parents taking in what she said, accepting it. She continued. "There's something else too, though I think it's best if we wait till Ron returns …and no, I'm not pregnant," she added quickly, seeing her father's reaction. "We witches have ways of controlling that."

As if on cue there was a pop in the corridor and then Ron poked his head gingerly into the lounge room. "Sorry, I hope I didn't startle you."

"That's going to take some getting used to," said Jean catching her breath. "Come in and join us, Ron. We were just talking about you."

Ron's ears went red. He walked over and sat down next to Hermione.

"My parents know all about us. They're OK with it," she said bringing Ron up to speed.

"I don't recall actually saying that, Hermione," said Robert trying to regain some measure of control of the situation. There was part of him that wanted a little payback on Ron. Jean wanted to intervene but she understood she had to let the two men come to terms.

Ron swallowed and looked at Mr Granger with apprehension. Now that Hermione was alright he felt his self-assurance slipping away.

"So tell me, Ron, what are your plans? Are you going back to school now?"

Ron saw the trap but decided it didn't matter. "No, I plan to spend the next six months helping my brother George get his business back on track. Fred was both George's twin brother and his business partner. Fred was killed in the battle. After I have done that, I intend to join the Aurors."

"I'm very sorry to hear about your brother Ron, that must be very hard," said Robert gently.

"It is. It's not just Fred. We lost a lot of really good people…too many." Ron was beginning to choke up. Hermione put an arm around him.

It was beginning to sink in to Robert and Jean the scale of the ordeal Hermione and her friends had endured. Robert decided that now was not the time to press Ron further, but Ron decided he would answer Robert's unasked question.

"As for Hermione and I, Mr Granger, I can't tell you the exact when, what and how. We are only just getting used to the idea that we actually have futures. What I can tell you is that there isn't a version of my future I care to imagine that doesn't have Hermione at the centre of it. We are committed to one another. We will make it work, whatever it takes."

"There's something more," Hermione took up the thread. "Among magical folk when there is a strong bond of love between a man and a woman, something special occasionally happens. The bond sets up a connection that allows the magic to flow one to the other. It enriches and strengthens the relationship. It's called a lifebond and Ron and I have it."

Hermione explained a little more and told them about the ceremony at the Burrow. When she had finished she turned to Ron and said "so I guess you're stuck with me my love."

"Such a dreadful fate," he replied with a big smile. They beamed at each other almost forgetting Hermione's parents were in the room.

"Well this is turning into quite some day," said Robert feeling more than a little overwhelmed. "All we need to do now is sort out our financial mess and our legal status," he added laughing a little hysterically.

"I don't believe it is as bad as you think," said Hermione. She then explained how she had organised her parents' good friend, Max Harrington, who was a gifted businessman to manage their practice while they were away. He was going to employ locums and tell people that the Grangers were on sabbatical in California and would eventually be back.

"As for your legal issues I'm sure Kingsley and the Australian Ministry can sort it out," concluded Hermione.

"And why should they go to the trouble?" asked Robert, very sceptical.

"You forget your daughter is a war hero," said Ron. "In any case, Kingsley is a good friend and the Australian ministry has already gone out of its way to help us."

"We'll see."

Robert gave Max Harrington a call and was pleased to discover their practice was thriving; indeed a sizable amount in profits had been banked and was waiting for them. He was relieved.

Conversation then turned to less stressful topics. Robert and Jean told Hermione and Ron about their time in Australia and Hermione told them of her plans for the next year.

About 6:30 Robert said "It's about time to get going if we're going to get into the city by 7:30."

"We could apparate if you like. We can take you side along. It's not particularly pleasant but it sure is fast." Robert seemed excited by the prospect though Jean looked a little dubious. She agreed though.

At 7:30, Hermione with her father, Ron with Jean apparated to just outside the door to the _Sydney_ suite. Hermione rang the bell.

"What hotel did you say this was?" asked Robert once he got his breath back.

"The Park Hyatt," responded Hermione. Robert's eyebrows rose in surprise. When the door opened, his jaw dropped. He was mesmerised by the room and the view beyond. He barely registered when he was introduced to Harry and Ginny though he did somehow manage to express his condolences to Ginny over Fred's death.

In contrast to her father who was looking pale, Hermione noticed that Ginny was glowing. Harry, on the other hand was having trouble looking Ron in the eye. Fortunately, Ron didn't notice this. She would have to have a serious talk to Ginny soon.

Hermione gave her parents a quick tour of the suite, excluding the bedrooms. Robert quickly recovered. He knew precisely how much a suite like this would cost and he was beginning to worry about the price that would be extracted from Hermione and her friends in exchange.

They sat out on the veranda where the butler served drinks and canapés. The evening was cool, as usual for this time of year, but the view was well worth it. The conversation flowed easily. It was the beginning of what would be a lifelong friendship between Hermione's parents and Harry and Ginny.

They moved into their private dining room for dinner, the six of them feeling a little strange spread out around the large table. Harry informed them that George Lonnergan had rung and that the Minister of magic was hosting a reception for them on Friday night, in two days' time. The Grangers were invited also. Both Ginny and Hermione immediately declared they had nothing to wear. Jean offered to take them shopping, the next day. Apparently George's sister Michelle had also offered to take them shopping and they decided to ask her along too. The girls thought that Michelle would have a far better idea of what to wear and where to get it than Jean, but they didn't want to hurt her feelings.

After a while Robert raised the issue that had been clearly troubling him. He made sure the butler was not around before he spoke.

"I don't want to sound like a spoil sport but this suite is costing someone an arm and a leg. I am sure they are appreciative of what you have done but no one spends this sort of money unless they want something in return. Do you know what their price is and are you prepared to pay it?"

Harry responded. "They want us to push legal, social and political reforms in Britain and Europe. As a liberal democracy with unusually close connections to the muggle community they feel particularly isolated in the wider wizarding world. Britain's wizarding community is not a democracy for example. The Wizengamot is effectively self-appointing."

"We had already decided to push for reform in Britain," continued Hermione. "We think if we don't there will soon be another monster like Voldemort. Then we, or more likely our children, will have to do it all over again. We don't want that. We are happy to set up an alliance with the Australians if it is going to help us in our struggle. We won the war. Now we want to win the peace."

Both Robert and Jean were having trouble getting their heads around the scope of the ambition of these four young people and were having difficulty believing that their 18 year old daughter and her friends would have the kind of influence that would make the Australians go to so much effort. It was Jean who voiced this.

"Hermione, I don't want to be negative, but surely you don't have the sort of political clout or the skills for all this to make sense."

"Just at the moment we have enormous clout. What we did has been front page news around the wizarding world for more than a week. Last week Harry shared a stage with Tony Blair, and it was Harry who got to make the speech. But you are right, that won't last. We have to leverage that into something more permanent. We are not alone though. The current British Minister for Magic is our ally and friend. He was part of the same resistance group as Ron's parents. We have many other allies as well. We have already started building a movement."

Ginny disappeared for a few moments and then came back with a wad of press clippings. She showed them to Hermione's parents who were once more gobsmacked.

The four teenagers gave Hermione's parents a rundown on the state of British wizarding society and the reforms they wanted to pursue.

"It seems to me," said Robert thoughtfully, "that wizarding society is at much the same stage as muggle society in the nineteenth century. You may do well to study the politics of that time and see how the reforms were achieved."

"That," said Ron, "sounds like a job for Hermione."

"Won't you lot _ever_ read?" asked an exasperated Hermione.


	16. We Need to Talk

Chapter 16: We Need to Talk

Hermione noticed Ginny sitting out on the patio. Ginny was still wearing her pyjamas and had pulled on a gown to protect against the early morning chill. She was drawing what warmth she could from the still weak sun and watching the activity build up on the harbour as the city awoke.

Earlier, Hermione had climbed out of bed carefully so as not to disturb Ron. She had heard a light snore as she walked past Harry's room. She was fairly certain that both 'her boys' would stay in bed for at least another hour as there was no pressing need for them to arise. The only venture on offer this morning was an expedition to buy clothes, not something that would make them jump out of bed with enthusiasm. She made herself some coffee and joined Ginny.

"Morning Ginny."

"Hi Hermione," Ginny replied smiling. She looked very peaceful. "It's just so wonderful out here," she added.

Hermione just nodded and sipped her coffee, soaking in her surroundings, and gathered her thoughts.

"Ginny, what happened yesterday afternoon?" she asked gently.

Ginny's head jerked around to look at Hermione. There was a look of surprise, then briefly of guilt before Ginny finally adopted an air of innocent puzzlement.

"I don't know what you mean, Hermione."

"I tried that line on my mother yesterday when she asked me about Ron. She didn't buy it either. Give Ginny."

"I don't see it is any of your business, Hermione," she said defiantly. She turned away from Hermione and pretended to watch the activity on the harbor.

Hermione sat quietly for a little while then said simply, "do you really believe that Ginny?"

Ginny turned to Hermione angrily. "Nothing happened," she spat out. "It nearly did and it was great but then noble Harry pulled back. There, are you satisfied?"

"No... Is it your plan to seduce Harry this holiday, Ginny? To make love to him?"

"What if it is?"

"You'll probably succeed. You need to think about the consequences of that Ginny."

"I'm glad you think I'll succeed. I haven't had much luck so far."

"I know him better than you, Ginny. He's not exactly immune to your charms."

"Good"

"No, it's not good Ginny. He's not ready. You agreed with that just last week."

"Yeah, well, I didn't know then that we would be holidaying at the other side of the world to my parents."

"Parents to whom both you and Harry promised nothing would happen, or have you forgotten that. If Harry breaks his word he will be wracked with guilt. He won't be able to look them in the eye. He's carrying too much emotional baggage as it is. He doesn't need that."

"That's funny coming from someone who changed her parents' memory and sent them around the world despite them saying no."

"That's got nothing to do with it." Hermione felt as if she'd been slapped across the face.

"And who are you to be talking, f..ing my brother senseless each night."

"Ginny!"

"You're trying to say that I'm being selfish; that I don't really care about Harry. Well I do. I love him and I can make him happy!"

"Ginny, that's not –"

"You can't have them both, Hermione. They're no longer 'your boys'. You've got Ron. Harry's mine." Ginny stormed off leaving Hermione sitting there mouth agape. A few seconds later she heard Ginny's bedroom door slam closed.

About an hour later Hermione's mother arrived, followed shortly by Michelle.

"Ron, could you let Ginny know that Mum and Michelle are here?" asked Hermione, but before Ron could move, Ginny emerged from her room, bright and breezy.

"Hi everyone, we all ready to go?" She even smiled at Hermione.

"Are the boy's coming with us?" asked Jean.

"Um, I think we'd just be in the way," said Ron.

Harry nodded vigorously. "Yeah, maybe we can meet up later for lunch."

Only Ginny looked disappointed. Jean smiled. Michelle led them off on their expedition. It was a total disaster. It started at the first shop they entered. Hermione tried on an elegant full length red strapless sheath dress. It was low cut with a split to just above the right knee. Both Jean and Michelle loved it but Ginny simply said "Ron would go ballistic if you wore that in public."

It went on like that for the next hour; Ginny and Hermione vetoing each other's choices with increasingly nasty put downs that more than hinted at possible deficiencies in each other's figures. At times they fell just short of calling the other a tart. Both Michelle and Jean were becoming increasingly embarrassed. They held a little conference and then Michelle announced "I know a shop that should be just right for Ginny. I'll take her there and you can take Hermione to David Jones." She dragged Ginny away before she had an opportunity to object.

"Let's get a cup of coffee, Hermione," said Jean. When they had settled down and the coffee had arrived Jean asked "so what's going on Hermione?"

"Ginny and I had a nasty argument this morning."

"Yes I gathered something like that. What about?"

Hermione reluctantly told her. Jean burst out laughing.

"It's not funny Mum!"

"It's hilarious. I know you know the meaning of the word 'ironic' Hermione"

"Yes Mum, I understand the irony in the situation, but it's serious. Ginny is only sixteen and I feel responsible for her being over here in the first place. And then there's Harry. Harry is carrying a heavy burden of guilt from the war. He feels he should have found a way to end it sooner without so many people dying."

"That is a terrible burden for a seventeen year old boy to have to carry," said Jean both surprised and a little outraged. "Is there any reason for him to feel that way?"

"None whatsoever; it's just how Harry is. He takes responsibility. If he breaks his word to Ginny's parents he will feel really bad about it. It will affect his relationship with them and they are like surrogate parents to him."

"Hermione, I know you care about Harry, but if that is how he feels then I suggest it is up to him to keep his word. It's not really your job, not anymore."

"Harry is my best friend, Mum. We've been protecting each other since we were 11. We are brother and sister in all but name. And Ginny is my closest female friend. I care about her a lot. What she is planning will hurt them both. I can't stand by and let that happen."

"What does Ron think?"

"He doesn't know. I'm not sure whether he would kill Harry or Ginny first if he found out. He's only just come to terms with them kissing."

Jean tried unsuccessfully to conceal her smirk.

"Yes Mum, ironic, OK. I do feel sorry for Harry at times. It's a daunting challenge dating a girl with five very protective older brothers."

"Not to mention a very protective older sister. Hermione, in the end Harry and Ginny have to work this out for themselves. You've said your bit to Ginny. Now you should leave it be."

Hermione opened her mouth to respond but then she stopped herself. After a while she said "I guess. …I'm sorry we put you through that Mum."

"Don't worry about it. It just feels so good to be a mum again. Now let's go and get that first dress you tried on; the red one. It was by far the best we saw."

"Ginny wasn't wrong when she said Ron wouldn't like me wearing that in public."

"Good, all the more reason to buy it. You have to make it clear to Ron early on that you are going to decide what you wear, not him. Besides he'll be proud as punch to be escorting the belle of the ball."

Later, they all met up for lunch with the boys. Ginny had also gone back and bought a green dress she had tried on before. Hermione recalled liking it very much, but that is not what she had told Ginny. She looked over at Ginny who also appeared embarrassed. Hermione announced she was going to the bathroom and Ginny soon followed.

When they were alone Hermione apologised. "Ginny, I meant what I said about Harry, but that's something for you and him to work out. I'm sorry for how I've carried on the rest of this morning."

"I didn't mean those things I said to you either, Hermione, I'm sorry too."

"We have been carrying on like a couple of prize prats, haven't we? Merlin knows what Michelle thinks."

"Probably just confirms what she thinks of English witches," replied Ginny.

"I really do like that dress you bought, by the way."

"Doesn't make me look like an under dressed, over exposed string bean, then?" responded Ginny cocking an eyebrow.

Hermione winced at the recollection of what she had said. "Sorry about that. No, Harry will love it. You look beautiful in it."

Ginny took on a look of concern. "Hermione, what you said about Harry; I don't know what to do."

"Why don't you talk to Harry about it? That's what being in a relationship is all about. You make the important decisions together."

Ginny looked thunderstruck. "Oh Merlin, Hermione, what have I been doing? I made Harry promise that on the big things that affect us both that he wouldn't make the decision alone, that we would do it together but I've been trying to make this decision for him."

"Talk to him."

"I don't know where to start."

"Start with what happened yesterday. Harry won't want to talk about it; boys never do, but he'll be glad that you did."

Ginny nodded. The two girls embraced then, arm in arm, both smiling, they returned to the table. The two boys had never realised anything was wrong.

The following evening the two boys were in the lounge room of their suite waiting impatiently for the girls to emerge. They were both getting dressed in Ginny's room.

"Come on Hermione," called out Ron. "The limo thingy with your parents will be here any second."

They were to meet the Australian Minister of Magic privately before the reception proper.

Five minutes later the door to Ginny's room cracked open and the two girls emerged rendering the two boys slack jawed and mouth agape.

Harry finally managed to get out "Ginny you look spectacular!" Ginny beamed with pleasure. Not quite as an afterthought Harry added "you look wonderful too Hermione."

"Wonderful?" protested Ron, "you look absolutely stunning Hermione!"

Hermione smiled brightly and she did a twirl showing off her dress.

"Um, Hermione," added Ron, "I don't know how to tell you this, but they haven't finished sewing the seam down the front of your dress."

"It's meant to be like that, Ron."

"And Hermione, you're sort of naked from here up."

"They're called shoulders, Ron. Don't you like the way they look?"

"What I don't like, Hermione, is the idea of other men ogling you all night. You're not wearing that in public."

"And where do you suggest I wear it, Ron? In the bathroom? It's an evening dress, Ron, designed to be worn in public by women whose men respect them and appreciate the way they look. Don't you appreciate the way I look?"

"Well yes, but –"

"Good, then that's settled!"

"And you better not start on my dress either Ron!" declared Ginny.

At this he noticed just how much skin Ginny was displaying, how low her neckline.

"Bloody hell," he muttered and looked to Harry for support but Harry was just smirking.

"Sorry mate," he said, "but you're fighting a losing battle here. Besides we'll be the envy of every wizard in Australia when we walk in with these two on our arms."

Ron frowned, and then he shrugged, making a decision. "There is that," he conceded.

"You really do look beautiful Hermione and you don't look half bad either Ginny."

"Gee, thanks, Ron."

Ron offered his arm to Hermione, and with Harry and Ginny following they went down to the hotel lobby and the waiting limo.

George had accompanied the Granger's during the 30 minute journey from their home in Gordon and they were getting on like a house on fire when they arrived at the Park Hyatt. The limousine took the group the short distance to Government house, an elegant 19th century structure set in large grounds adjacent to the Botanical Gardens. It was once the residence of the State Governor but was now used for state occasions and charity functions. It had the advantage of being private. The reception area and the ballroom were actually quite cramped and narrow, but they had been magically extended for this evenings function.

When they arrived, George ushered them into a lounge area where he introduced the group to his father. Kevin Lonnergan greeted them warmly. He had a straight forward, down to earth and friendly manner with very little of George's flamboyance.

After pleasantries had been exchanged, The Minister for magic apologised to the English travellers.

"I'm sorry to put you through this tonight; there are more than a few people who wouldn't have forgiven me if I didn't give them a chance to meet our celebrity visitors. I'm afraid most of them are fairly boring."

"It's the least we could do after what you've done to help us," said Harry. "We are very appreciative."

"Glad to help. I should also warn you that the press will be here tonight, including a contingent representing the British press, so I'd be careful what you say. I've found from bitter experience that it never goes down well either at home or abroad if you say something controversial when away."

"Thanks for the warning," replied Harry who had been asked to say a few words. Fortunately, Mr Granger had given him the same advice so his prepared remarks were fairly harmless.

"There are a couple of people, however," Kevin continued "whom you could well profit from meeting, ….that is if you are serious about doing the things you talked to George about."

"We are," replied Hermione.

"Good. The first is Sasha Halifax. She is Australia's ambassador to the British magical community and she is back in Australia for consultations at the moment. You'll find she has a very shrewd understanding of British politics and will be more than happy to be of assistance to you. The second is a British wizard, a businessman and someone whose views, I believe you will find, are in line with your own. He is both very intelligent and well-connected and I believe could be of great assistance to you. His name is Peter Lowry."

"We'll be pleased to meet them," responded Ron.

"Good. Always remember you have friends in Australia."

Turning to Robert and Jean he added "George tells me there may be some irregularity with your immigration status in Australia. He'll introduce you to our liaison with the muggle government who should be able to sort out any problems for you. Minister Shacklebolt in England assures me he will be able to sort out any issues over there."

Jean and Robert both breathed a sigh of relief and thanked Kevin.

Turning back to the four youngsters he continued.

"Now if you will accompany me we have to join the reception line with my wife Jenny. George, could you take care of Jean and Robert?"

The evening was surprisingly pleasant. The food was excellent and the conversation brisk. Ginny and Harry found themselves sitting next to Sasha Halifax who was a delight. She had them in stitches of laughter with some less than diplomatic observations of some of the leading lights of British and European politics. Her description of how Cornelius Fudge's dithering and pomposity had almost lost the British the right to host the last Quidditch World Cup was almost painful.

At one point, when no one was in a position to overhear them, Sasha's demeanour completely changed. She became very serious and said to Harry "I understand you and your friends are hoping to bring about some social and political reforms in Britain. It is a difficult road you are choosing. Feel free to come and talk to me whenever you need to. I will try and give you whatever advice and assistance I can." Within seconds she switched back to her former manner and launched into a juicy tale about Kevin during his university days.

The speeches were all fairly low key, though the four did become somewhat embarrassed with the praise being heaped upon them. Harry's own speech went over well despite the lack of any real content.

The Granger's were enjoying dessert, a delightful mixture of meringue, fruit and cream called a Pavlova. They had been seated with Peter Lowry who was muggle born and had been able to explain to them the more obscure aspects of the evening's proceedings. Robert found himself confessing to Peter how amazed he was at the attention being lavished on their daughter and her friends.

"I gather she is a war hero, but all this seems so excessive," he said.

"Let me help you understand," said Peter. "What your daughter, Harry and Ron have done is an extraordinary feat of endurance, courage and daring. All the same, the world is full of people doing courageous and daring things. So what makes what they did so special? Let me explain it from the Australian perspective. They have been gearing up for a global war between wizarding nations. That old saying '_The storm clouds are gathering over Europe_' seemed very real. There was a deep dread spreading through the community. Voldemort looked unstoppable and a global conflagration seemed inevitable. Then one morning everyone wakes up and it's all over, the dreadful, unavoidable danger gone. There has been a great battle, Voldemort is dead, his forces defeated and these three are the ones who brought it about. That is something not soon forgotten. Add to that how young they are and you have the stuff of true legend. I doubt there is a country in the world at the moment where your daughter would not be feted or the gratitude profound."

Robert and Jean were speechless. They were just beginning to understand the scope of what their daughter had achieved, who she had become. After a while they realised that Peter was still talking.

"…what young Ginny did is also quite noteworthy. She stands out as an example to all of us of courage and standing up for what you believe in despite the cost."

Jean and Robert realised they really did need to know in detail what the four young people had done during the last year.

"Would you like to dance, Mrs Granger?"

Jean looked up to see Ron standing politely, offering his hand. Beside him, Hermione was dragging her father onto the dance floor."

"I would be delighted, Ron." She took his hand and joined him on the dance floor. Ron was no natural dancer but he was attentive and careful. Besides he was a strapping young man. She found herself enjoying the dancing.

The dancing went on for some time. Much to Harry and Ron's annoyance Ginny and Hermione were swept away by a long list of wizards eager to dance with them. They were too busy to do much about it. Most of the witches, young and old, were eager to dance with them and showed no reluctance dragging them onto the floor or cutting in.

George, of course, dominated the dance floor. He used a series of steps that incorporated magical moves. When he was dancing with his girlfriend Ariadne, the results were arresting. Their dancing achieved the rare double of being both dazzling and graceful. They floated, glided, bent and twirled in perfect harmony. Soon more people on the dance floor were watching them than dancing themselves.

The reception ended around midnight. After a series of farewells and thanks they climbed back into the limousine. On the way back to the hotel Robert reminded Hermione that she had promised to give them the full story of the last year. They agreed they would come up to The Granger's home the next morning and take them through it.

Once they reached their hotel suite the four sat out on their balcony for an hour talking happily about their night.

The next morning they apparated to the Granger's home. They spent the rest of the morning and much of the afternoon taking Hermione's parents through the events of the last nine months. They included a description of what Ginny had been through at Hogwarts. It took a lot longer than on previous occasions. The Grangers lacked the background in the wizarding world and they not been involved in any of the events as the Weasleys had. It was a very difficult journey both intellectually and emotionally for everyone.

Hermione had been very nervous about taking her parents through the story and one reason was soon obvious. It became clear to Harry, Ron and Ginny that the Grangers knew next to nothing about Hermione's more dangerous adventures during her years at Hogwarts. They knew nothing about the mountain troll, Fluffy, the Philosophers Stone or the Chamber of Secrets. They didn't even know that Hermione had been petrified. They knew nothing about her forming a clandestine army in fifth year or the battle in the Department of Mysteries. Hermione had told them nothing and neither had the school apparently. Ron's parents had always been notified of any incident or injury. The school clearly had a different policy when it came to muggle parents.

These revelations were difficult for Hermione and made her parents angry.

"If I had known how dangerous Hogwarts was I would have taken you out of there years ago!" said Robert. This was, of course, precisely why Hermione had never told them. Danger or no, Hogwarts was where Hermione belonged and she would have preferred to die rather than leave there for the muggle world. She tried hard to explain this to her parents.

They were all drained emotionally and mentally by the time the story had been told. They had left nothing out. They had told the complete story.

"You are four very extraordinary young people," was all Robert could say. Jean just nodded her head in agreement.

Later that night Jean ordered some pizza. They sat around the dining table discussing their immediate plans for the rest of their 'holiday'. On Monday, two days away, the four were travelling to a tropical resort just north of Cairns. They planned to go snorkelling on the Great Barrier Reef, to explore the area and to sip exotic fruit juices while sunning themselves around the resort pool. Hermione had a stack of books she planned to read.

They had invited the Grangers to join them but they had declined. They needed to start tidying up their affairs in Australia and planning their return. They had decided to return to England, the main reason being that Hermione had made it clear that that was where her future lay.

The next day, George and Ariadne were taking them to an international Quidditch match between Australia and Japan. Harry, Ron and Ginny tried their best to explain the game to Robert and Jean.

"So it's like aerial football, or soccer as the Aussies call it, except there are three goal mouths and you have players who are allowed to go around knocking other players off their brooms even if they don't have the ball," summarised Robert.

"Yeah," replied Harry, "but don't forget about the golden snitch."

Jean had tuned out the explanation early and was having a side conversation with Hermione about her education next year.

The main Sydney Quidditch arena was tucked away in one of the large forest reserves that surrounded Sydney. Although the arena could easily take 15,000 spectators, to muggle eyes, even muggle satellites, there was no apparent break in the forest. The arena was rapidly filling as they took their places. Jean very much enjoyed the game, Robert was exhilarated. He was an instant convert. It was the beginning of a love affair that would stay with him the rest of his life. He and Ron would attend many matches together over the years though Robert never quite took on Ron's obsession for the Chudley Cannons.

Ten days later their holiday was drawing to a close. Ginny and Hermione were lying on deck chairs beside the resort pool. Ron and Harry were in the pool playing volley ball. Ron was winning and couldn't keep the satisfaction off his face. The following day they were returning home, flying first to Singapore then onto Heathrow.

Hermione was very happy. Every one she cared about was safe and well. Her mission to Australia had been a complete success. Her parents would be back in England in a month's time ready to resume their old life. Hermione and her parents were fully reconciled and there were now no secrets between them. Her parents had insisted that from now on Hermione keep it that way and she was happy to comply. She was now looking forward to sharing her life in the magical world with them, something she had been afraid to do before.

Hermione was also pleased how things had gone between Ginny and Harry. Ginny had had that conversation with Harry on the morning before they left for Cairns. They had decided, together, not to go any further than they already had until at least Ginny's seventeenth birthday in a little over two months' time. Their relationship had noticeably matured and they had both been extremely happy.

What Hermione was most happy about was Ron. She had thought before they had left England that she couldn't love him anymore. She was wrong. His warmth, tenderness, concern for her and the maturity and respect with which he had interacted with her parents had her falling deeper and deeper in love with her gangly red head with strong arms. This last 10 days had been very much a honeymoon for them.

Of course Ron still had his moments. He was scandalised when the girls wore their bikinis in public. They had worn bikinis when they went swimming at the Burrow but this was different, he decided.

"You can't lie around in public practically naked," he declared. He was pleased when the notorious Weasley white skin had forced Ginny to cover up to protect against the sun, even though the same white skin had caused him a painful dose of sunburn. It was only after several days that he relented, after he realised how everyone one else was dressing. Ginny had been exasperated, Harry amused. Hermione thought it was cute which exasperated Ginny even more.

Hermione watched Ron as her man slammed one more goal past Harry. Tomorrow it was back to the real world, but today everything was perfect.


	17. Job Interviews

Chapter 17: Job Interviews

"_Keep your friends close and your enemies even closer._" It was an ancient muggle saying attributed to Chinese master of war and diplomacy, Sun Tzu. It had been very much on Oliver Grantham's mind when he had decided to invite Hermione to be patron of his _Muggle Born Repatriation Foundation_.

After the press conference he was no longer sure in which category Hermione and her friends belonged. He had been impressed with the speed with which Hermione had learnt from her stumbles early in the press conference. Passion and unrealistic idealism was no fault in the young, especially if they were willing to learn. In his more hubristic moments the 36 year old Grantham had visions of himself as mentor to a new generation of leaders, tempering their idealism and zeal with the wisdom gained and passed on by generations of earlier wizards. He was realistic enough to realise this was unlikely.

Offering Hermione the position as patron was an ideal way of getting to know her and her friends and gaining a better understanding whether they could be allies or were destined to be foes. Either way, it would be an advantage to him to learn as much about them as possible.

Grantham had little doubt that Hermione could fulfil the role of Patron very well. That was important to him. His life had been constantly at risk during the war because of his work with muggle born families and he would not damage the work of the foundation even to gain political advantage.

The door to Grantham's office opened.

"Miss Granger is here, Mr Grantham."

"Thanks, Cara. Show her in will you please."

Grantham got up from his desk and moved forward to greet Hermione.

"Good morning, Miss Granger. It is a pleasure to meet you."

"Nice to meet you too."

Grantham showed her to a small lounge setting at the front of his office and invited her to be seated.

Hermione looked around Grantham's office. The reception area had been decorated in a style she called 'wizard gothic' though not as oppressive as she usually found that style. It was like a lighter, brighter, more tasteful version of Grimmauld Place. She had been surprised to see some computers in one of the side rooms. Grantham's office was in the same style as the reception area; it was formal as befitted a lawyer's office but not unfriendly.

"Arthur told me you were traveling, and I see from the papers you have visited Australia. I hope you have recovered from the journey. It is a long trip."

"Yes thank you." Hermione felt unwilling to be drawn out on the details of her trip.

"I am sure Arthur has given you a rundown on my proposal. With your permission, I would like to give you a detailed understanding of the work of the foundation." Grantham then launched into a twenty minute exposition. His enthusiasm and passion was palpable. Hermione occasionally asked for clarifications which Grantham happily provided.

Hermione found herself responding to Grantham's passion and becoming excited at the idea of becoming involved. She still had many questions and reservations though.

"So exactly what do you see my role as patron as being, what would it involve?" she asked.

"First and foremost you lend your name to the organisation. It's important you understand that. You should not do this unless you are entirely happy with the aims of the organisation and the way we operate. Then, there would be various fund raisers to attend and the occasional press interview."

"Mr Grantham, I believe you are an honourable man, but I really don't know how I could be sure what the foundation was really doing with such a tangential involvement. I would need to know a lot more, talk to some of the staff and some of the people you are helping."

"Of course Miss Granger, I wouldn't expect anything less. I have lined up two of our employees to talk with you today if you have the time. I understand you know them both."

Hermione cocked an eyebrow in surprise.

"The first is a classmate of yours I understand."

"Justin Finch-Fletchley," said Hermione almost to herself, the knuts slotting into place. "He said that he was with a lawyer who had founded an organisation helping the muggle born when he heard about the battle going on at Hogwarts. That was you then?"

"Yes."

"And you fought in the battle?"

"Yes, alongside Justin, though I can't claim we saw a great deal of action. Justin has been working with me on this for most of the last nine months. I have appointed him General Manager of the Foundation. He is a very competent young man and has excellent connections in the muggle community that have proved most helpful."

Remembering more of what Justin had said, Hermione added "you had a child at Hogwarts this year. That must have been difficult?"

"Agonising," he replied and for a moment his composure came close to cracking. "You cannot know how grateful I am that it is all over."

"And the second person you have lined up for me to talk to?" asked Hermione quickly, allowing Grantham to move on.

"Is perhaps someone you do not know so well, though he once had a very close, if brief, association with your friend Ron Weasley." Grantham smiled inwardly as if laughing at a private joke but did not expand on his enigmatic reply.

"Miss Granger," Grantham continued, "I also mentioned to Arthur that if you wanted it, I'd be happy for you to take on a more active role in the foundation. That would be one way to better understand what you were lending your name to. However, I have no idea what your plans are for the future or how much time you would be willing to give to this cause. You do understand that apart from a few full time employees such as Justin, all other work at the foundation is on a voluntary basis. There is no pay."

"Yes, Arthur explained that to me. My immediate plans are to return to Hogwarts to complete my education. That's not going to give me a lot of time to be involved in other activities and there are a few other things I would like to do as well. I'm not even sure that I would be free to leave the school to attend these fund raisers you talk about."

Grantham's gave a vaguely condescending smile. "I really don't think Professor McGonagall will deny you permission to undertake any worthwhile external activities you choose," he said.

Hermione agreed, indeed her plans for the year relied on it, but she didn't want to let Grantham know that.

"Perhaps," was all she said.

"Let me put a proposition to you. In addition to being Patron of the foundation I would like to invite you to join the board. That would involve a three hour meeting twice a month and some preparation time. That would give you an excellent oversight of the organisation and a say in how it was run. I believe you could make an excellent contribution. I know I am asking an awful lot of you but I do hope you will consider it."

Hermione was taken aback. She was surprised and flattered by the offer. She had always thought you had to be a middle aged businessman who smoked cigars to join a board. Still, she needed to know a few more things.

"I would like to ask you a number of questions that are a bit personal if I may."

"Of course."

"Why did a conservative lawyer from an old pureblood, family take the risks you did for this cause in particular? Why do you care so much?" Hermione asked.

"I could tell you that I believe that the health of the magical community requires all its various components, pure bloods, the muggle born and all the various magical races to live in harmony and it would be true but it wouldn't really explain what I did, what I am doing. The answer to your question is simply this; I saw great injustice and intolerable cruelty and I was in a position to do something about it. I am not the sort of person who can stand by and do nothing in such circumstances. I don't think you are either."

Hermione nodded, accepting this answer.

"At the press conference you asked me about S.P.E.W. Why? And how did you know about S.P.E.W. in the first place?"

"You remember that?" he asked. He had been expecting this question but wanted to probe Hermione a little further before responding.

Hermione smirked. "A rising star of the Wizengamot in the guise of a journalist from an obscure legal journal asks a question about a defunct organisation that only about 10 people had ever heard of. Yes, I remember that."

"Ah, caught out! The answer is, again, quite simple. It was a test."

"The question remains. Why and How?"

"I am a politician, an ambitious one. Politics is about power and any successful politician must understand it and its sources. What I saw at Hogwarts in the immediate aftermath of the battle was a new power arising. It centred on Harry Potter and his two friends and included the members of Order of the Phoenix and the DA. I needed to understand it and I did my research. You will find if you work with me that when I decide to act I do so quickly."

"I think you exaggerate our importance."

"I'm not surprised you're uncomfortable with it but you know it's true. The Australians recognised it from the other side of the world, or are you going to tell me they didn't try and recruit you to their cause? Let me guess. They put you up in a swanky hotel, George Lonnergan himself probably led the charm offensive, they introduced you to fascinating and influential people, I know they gave you a State reception and I bet they offered you all sorts of help."

Hermione was lost for words. She had no idea how to respond. This was the last thing she had expected to hear.

"Don't be surprised, Hermione. You're new at this game. Wherever you went in the world at the moment they would try and recruit you. At least the Aussies are decent folk, even if they are following a dangerous path."

"I thought much of what they were doing was excellent," said Hermione recovering her aplomb. "I really liked the way they are not so isolated from muggle culture. They even go to muggle university."

"Oh, I agree they are doing some excellent things. The ignorance of the average English wizard of muggle society is laughable. Worse, it's dangerous. Our education system is very narrowly based."

"That's exactly what they said in Australia. I would really have liked to go to university," said Hermione somewhat wistfully.

"Then why don't you?"

"I don't see how it's possible."

"Let me show you something." Grantham crossed the room and opened a cupboard door. On the inside was a framed certificate. He took it down and handed it to Hermione who was astounded. What she was holding was a first class honours degree in history and politics from Oxford University awarded to one Oliver Grantham.

"It is possible, Hermione, you just have to choose to do it. You have a fine mind. If that is what you want to do then you should do it."

Hermione felt like she had back in Australia when Michelle had casually announced she was at university. Her mind was reeling with possibilities that she had thought closed off for good. She was feeling dizzy.

"How, why?" was all she could get out.

"During my fifth year at Hogwarts I went to stay at the home of my best friend, a muggle born. I had always regarded myself as sophisticated and knowledgeable in the ways of the world. It was a shattering experience. I felt like some primitive savage who had accidentally stumbled into the modern world. I understood next to nothing. I felt utterly humiliated by my ignorance and resolved to remedy it. I started reading muggle newspapers, literature and history. I went to muggle movies and visited the muggle world whenever the opportunity arose."

"After leaving Hogwarts I approached the father of a muggle born witch I knew who was a professor at Oxford. I explained to him what I wanted to do. He was very supportive. He prescribed for me a private course of study that would prepare me for the course I wanted to do at Oxford. I did that study while apprenticing as a lawyer in the wizarding world. I then more or less dropped out of the wizarding world for three years and did my degree."

Hermione was excited. "But how did you get admission?"

"Ah, well that did require a little magical mischief and some fake records. The degree itself, though, I earned legitimately."

Hermione couldn't hear enough. She probed Oliver about every aspect of his life at Oxford. They talked about muggle history and the study of politics and the relationship between the muggle and magical world. An hour later Oliver had to shut the interview down apologising that he had another appointment. He handed her over to Justin Finch-Fletchley extracting a promise that she would get back to him within a few days with her response to his offer.

That night at the dinner table at the Burrow something unprecedented happened. No Weasley could get a word in. Hermione couldn't stop babbling about Oliver.

"He really does know how the world works. He knew the Australians would try and recruit us. He knows George too. No, not you George, George Lonnergan. He reckons George is effectively no2 in the Aussie government. Did I tell you Oliver topped his history courses?"

"Bleeding hell, it's like Gilderoy Lockhart all over again," groaned Ron.

"Except she's not 12 years old anymore," laughed Harry who was highly amused by Hermione's behaviour. "You better watch out Ron. It sounds like you have serious competition."

"Very funny," responded Hermione with as much dignity as she could muster. "You have nothing to worry about Ron. Oh, by the way, guess who else I met today?"

"Let me guess," replied Ron "Oliver Grantham's alter ego?"

"Ha, Ha" replied Hermione. "More like your alter ego, Ron. It was Reg Cattermole, the wizard you impersonated under polyjuice when we penetrated the ministry."

Ron's demeanour abruptly changed. "How is he? Did he and his wife get away safely? What about his children. I've always worried about what happened to them after what we did."

"They're fine Ron. Oliver helped them escape to France. They both now work for the foundation."

"Ah, good old Oliver; there to clean up our messes. What a fine chap he is. I wonder where he was when we were fighting Voldemort."

"Don't be like that Ron. Anyway, he did fight in the second half of the Battle of Hogwarts."

"Lucky for you, Harry, Oli was there to save the day," said Ron tartly.

"Now you're being nasty and insulting Ron. You're just annoyed because I've met someone who likes studying and learning like I do."

"No Hermione, I'm annoyed because all he had to do was wave his precious degree from his precious muggle university in front of your nose and you forget he is not on your side. He _attacked_ you at the press conference Hermione. He as good as admitted it, you said."

"That's not what I said at all Ron, which you would know if you bothered to listen." Hermione was getting very annoyed. "It was a test. He wanted to see what we were made of, that's all. We obviously passed."

"That's rubbish Hermione. He set you up. He wanted to discredit you; and Harry, Neville and me too by the way. He was hoping you'd come across as some crazed zealot in front of the world's media. He saw you as a loose cannon. That's what he really thinks of you. I'm sure he was telling the truth when he said he recognised the influence we now have. He set out to destroy it. He is not on our side Hermione. But oh that's OK because he has a degree from Oxtfoot."

"That's Oxford," she said haughtily. "And you're being ridiculous. You're being illogical. Why would he give me a high profile job if he wanted to destroy my influence?"

"Yeah, now you're asking the right question."

Hermione looked like she had been stung. She stood up. She was very angry now, almost shouting. "You're wrong Ron. Every time I want to do something to better myself you're threatened by it. You mock me and try and stop me. You're just jealous. Well I won't have it." She stormed off, then, when she got to the base of the stairs she turned and glared with full fury at Ron hissing with venom "And don't you _dare_ try coming into my room tonight."

Ron was bright red, Harry and Ginny were both trying to stop laughing and George said "Ooh…"

The rest around the table looked almost as embarrassed as Ron. Silently Ron got up from the table muttered a few words and went out the kitchen door into the still night.

"So that's one of the famous Ron-Hermione rows we've heard about?" remarked Arthur when no one else said anything.

"Not really, Dad," said Ginny. "That was only about 4 or 5 on the Ron-Hermione scale. The good ones get up to 8 or even 9."

Molly stood up and started to clear the table. "Shouldn't someone go and talk to them? I don't like all this angst."

"I'll go and talk to Ron in a little while," said Harry. "No one should approach Hermione at the moment. She's going to be very embarrassed in the morning. Leave it to me and Ron."

Molly nodded her head, accepting this plan. She continued clearing the dishes with Fleur's help.

Percy wasn't happy. "I don't like it. Hermione normally see things clearly, but this time I'm with Ron. She's been dazzled by this Grantham. She needs to have her head on straight by tomorrow afternoon. We need her."

Next afternoon a meeting was being held at the Burrow, a continuation of the discussion that started at Fred Weasley's wake. A challenge had been thrown down at that time; what do we need to do so we don't have to fight this same war again in a 5, 10 or 20 years' time? The surviving members of the Order of the Phoenix were expected as were senior members of the DA and a few select others. Hermione had floated the idea of forming a political party and there had been much animated discussion between various groupings, many owls exchanged but very little consensus.

"She'll be fine tomorrow," said Harry, hoping it was true.

Early the next morning, around 4:00am, Ron was lying in the spare bed in Harry's room. He had woken up from a fitful sleep and had been unable to get back to sleep. He wasn't very happy. He hated it when there was distance between him and Hermione. He enjoyed the battle, the sparring, the game play but he hated the distance that followed if it went too far, got too serious. Last night was very serious.

He knew he had to apologise. He didn't think he had done anything wrong, but he knew he had to apologise. That's just the way it was. He also knew he couldn't back down. For her own sake, Hermione had to see the truth and he wouldn't be doing her any favours if he just went along with her. Trouble is Hermione hated being wrong – she could carry on for weeks just to avoid admitting she was wrong. He wasn't sure what to do and he was worried.

He was also worried about George. They'd come back from Australia to find that he'd slumped into a kind of depression. He hadn't done anything about the shop, had hardly seen any of his friends, had hardly left his room except for meal times. George tried to lift when he was with the family but it was clear he wasn't doing well. Ron hadn't broached the idea of his working in the shop with George yet and he knew he couldn't put it off any longer. He planned talking to George this morning and didn't need to be having an argument with Hermione at the same time. He was just a little angry at her for putting him in this position.

At that moment the door to the bedroom cracked open. It was Hermione. A stray shaft of light from the landing illuminated her face which was all puffy and red from crying. She looked miserable. She was wearing pyjama shorts and one of his t-shirts which also made her look very cute.

Ron's heart melted, all anger forgotten. He instinctively pulled back the covers of his bed in invitation. Hermione rushed to him, climbed into bed, buried her face in his chest and cried a few tears. He engulfed her with his arms and kissed her on the top of her head. He thought he heard a muffled "sorry" and whispered "I'm sorry Hermione too".

"I missed you," she said reaching up and kissing him.

"If you two are going to do anything else I suggest you get a room." Harry's disembodied voice cut across the room.

"Good idea," said Ron and they raced each other upstairs.

Harry felt very lonely. He looked wistfully through the open door across to Ginny's room and once again the debate in his head started.

As the hours went by the family slowly woke. Most of the family were mildly surprised and largely amused when Ron and Hermione arrived for breakfast together, hand in hand, still in their pyjamas.

"Well, how are we all this morning," asked George somewhat pointedly.

"Fine thank you George," said Hermione, "but I need an answer to a question."

"And what question is that?" asked George.

"The one I asked last night. Why would Grantham offer me a high profile job if he wanted to destroy my influence?"

"Ah," said Percy, "it's good to see you back in the land of the rational."

"I wasn't that bad," protested Hermione.

Not wanting to upset Hermione they all stayed quiet on this point, all except Percy.

"Hermione you came back from Australia talking enthusiastically about democracy, elf emancipation and ending of privilege based on ancestry. You must know that someone like Grantham will not only vigorously oppose you. He will do whatever he can to block your every move."

"Ron and I had this conversation this morning. The question remains why offer me the job."

"I suppose it's possible that he cares more about his foundation than he does in stopping us and he thinks Hermione would do a good job," offered Harry.

"Oh, I am sure he cares very much about his foundation," replied Arthur. "A man doesn't risk his life for something he doesn't care about and I don't think he'd let Hermione anywhere near the foundation if he didn't think she could do a good job. A man like Grantham, though, can play a game at a lot of different levels. The question is, what else is he after?"

"He might think it's a good way to learn a lot more about you lot close up," said Bill thoughtfully, "probe for weaknesses. He might even believe he can influence or change you."

"Nah," said Ron, "we saw how impervious Hermione was to his charms yesterday."

Hermione gave him an angry glare.

"He's not doing you any favours offering you this job, Hermione," said Arthur. "It's not fair but, as a muggle born, you will get no kudos for working for other muggle born. Many will see it as tribal and self-interested."

"Should I take the job then?" asked Hermione.

"That's up to you, Hermione," replied Arthur. "Forewarned is forearmed."

Ron took advantage of a lull in the conversation.

"George, can I have a word?"

They went into the lounge room.

"If you're going to give me the pep talk, little brother, you're too late. I've already gotten it from Bill, Charlie and Percy. I'm sure Ginny will be along any time now too."

"No George, actually this is about me."

"Well, much as I am surprised, this can't be about your love life. That book really paid dividends it seems."

"Yeah it did. What I want to do is get a job."

"Didn't Kingsley offer you a job as an auror? I thought that is what you wanted to do."

"It is. It's just that I've spent the last year not knowing when someone was going to jump out from behind a bush and hit me with a nasty curse. I need to have a break from that for a while."

"Maybe you should change girlfriends then."

"Very funny."

"I don't see what this has to do with me Ron. I can't give you any advice on getting a job."

"What I was hoping is that you'd give me a job in the joke shop."

"The joke shop isn't open, Ron" replied George stiffly.

"So I'd noticed."

"So, this is the pep talk after all. I have to give you full marks for an original approach, Ron, if not for honesty."

"I am being honest, George. I really am not ready to start as an auror. I'm tired, George, really tired; not physically but emotionally. Kingsley has already agreed to a six month deferral and I need a job. If in doing that job I can help my brother get his business back on track, well then, that is a bonus. So George, I'm asking you for a favour, can you give me a job? Please think about it, OK."

Ron got up. He touched George on the shoulder as he left to re-join Hermione and the rest of his family.

George sat there quietly.

"What do you say, Fred? Is it time?" A tear came to his eye.


	18. It's my Party

Chapter 18: It's My Party

"No, Hermione, no!"

About forty people were squashed into the Burrow in what would become a famous meeting. Hermione was at the end of her tether. First Kingsley had refused to join the new party despite having put forward half of its policies.

"As minister of Magic I can't join a party. I have to work with all sides," he had argued. "Besides they'd sack me in five minutes if I joined a party that wanted them to face elections."

Then McGonagall had declined. "I have a seat in the Wizengamot only by virtue of my position as headmistress of Hogwarts. I represent Hogwarts."

So the two people Hermione had hoped would give the new party strong representation in the Wizengamot had declined to even join. Then all the party policies that Hermione wanted were watered down. Despite her passionate advocacy, only Ron supported elf emancipation. "People aren't ready for it and the house elves don't want it," was the consensus. The most she could get up was a commitment to improve elf working conditions.

On democracy, a policy of gradualism won the day. The new party adopted a position that 10% of the places in the Wizengamot should be filled through direct election by the people. As far as eliminating special privilege based on ancestry the adopted platform consisted of little more than pious platitudes with no concrete policies. Hermione was feeling deflated. Now Neville was on his feet opposing Hermione's plan for a formal and strong alliance between the DA and the new party. In her vision the DA would be like the youth wing of the new party, a training ground for its future leaders.

"Neville, it makes the whole structure stronger," she responded. "It builds the base of the party."

"No, Hermione, no."

There was no rancour in Neville's voice just firm conviction spoken gently.

"Hermione, it's not why I joined the DA, it's not why we reformed the DA it, it's not what the DA is about." Neville stood rock steady as he explained his position, his words attentively listened too.

"I joined the DA to learn how to protect myself. We reformed it to protect other people. If you want to know what I believe the DA is all about read Harry's speech on respect. I have framed a copy of that speech and hung it in the DA room at Hogwarts. I'll just quote a little of it; ''

"_'I therefore implore each of you firstly, to respect yourselves. Respect yourselves enough to be the best person you can be, to stand up and resist tyranny and injustice wherever you find them and to stand up for your own best values. I then implore you to extend that respect to all your fellow human beings and to the other members of our magical community and to understand that each and every one of us has value and an essential dignity._'"

"Harry's speech is what the DA is all about. Get a copy Hermione, read it."

"Hermione doesn't need to read it Neville. She wrote the speech," cut in Harry.

"Yeah, well, I guess that doesn't surprise me," responded Neville. "It sounds like the compassionate and insightful Hermione I've known for years. Hermione, listen to your own words. A DA whose mission is to teach those values is something that we can spread to other schools. It will do far more good than some junior branch of a political party. If we teach those values we will have recruits for our new party because the party is based on the same values, but Hermione, we will have done far more."

"Let me quote once more from your words;"

"' _The fight to restore justice and decency to our society will not be won through laws and administrative arrangements, necessary though they be. The fight will not be won on the battlefield. It can only be won in the hearts of each and every one of us.'"_

"'L_aws and administrative arrangements', _that's the party. '_Hearts'_, that's the DA."

Hermione was moved. Neville's conviction and her own words cut through to her and she saw that Neville was right. More than right. His vision for the future of the DA, his understanding of what it truly meant was inspiring.

"I agree," she said quietly with the hint of a tear in her eye and she went over to Neville and gave him a hug. The applause was spontaneous and enthusiastic. In years to come when people recalled this meeting it was this scene that so often sprang to mind. That and Elphias Doge.

A break was called and Hermione found herself sipping tea sitting next to Elphias Doge, Dumbledore's childhood friend and by far the oldest member of the Order of the Phoenix.

"You're disappointed," he said.

"I'd hoped for so much more. About the only thing we all agreed on was the name for the new party; Party for Liberty Equality Justice or PLEJ. The platform is so much weaker than I had hoped and now we don't even have a member in the Wizengamot."

"Miss Granger, what has been achieved today is nothing short of miraculous. Something powerful has been created today. It doesn't matter if the platform is weak. That's just today's menu. It has nothing to do with what you'll be doing in five, ten or fifteen years' time."

"I suppose."

"And you're wrong about not having a member in the Wizengamot."

"I don't understand."

"I may not have attended many sessions of late, so people tend to forget that I am a member. Perhaps if you ask Arthur to give me the nod I believe I can cheer you up a little."

Arthur, who was chairing the meeting called it back to order and gave the floor to Doge.

"I'm an old man, so they tell me." There were faint ripples of laughter.

"But today I feel young. In recent years I have rarely attended the Wizengamot. I saw little point. Today I have been given a reason, today I have hope. I have lost many friends over the years to war and to evil. In this last war I lost my oldest and dearest friend, Albus Dumbledore. In every case the root cause has been the same; incompetent and self-serving government and a complacent people. I had long since come to the conclusion that such was the lot of wizard kind and resigned myself to it. Today I have been given hope that things could be different. An old man's folly? Perhaps, but it is a folly I fully intend to pursue. I will join this new party and represent it with pride in the Wizengamot." This announcement was met with loud cheers. Doge continued.

"I have held a meeting with every other member of the party currently in the Wizengamot. As I am the only one, it was a very short meeting," he said dryly. Laughter filled the room. "I am pleased to announce that, at this meeting, I was elected unopposed as leader of the party in the Wizengamot and I thanked my colleagues for their confidence in me." There was more laughter now mixed with cheers.

"We must build the party both inside and outside the Wizengamot, but we have a very simple and a very compelling proposition to sell. It is this. Twice in the space of a generation through incompetence, inaction and complicity the Wizengamot and the Ministry of Magic have allowed Voldemort to spread misery, despair, unspeakable cruelty, injustice and death through the community. Both _must_ be reformed root and branch. We must take this message to every corner of wizarding society. We must fill the media with it. We must thunder it from every pulpit we can reach."

People in the room were listening carefully now deeply impressed with the clarity of vision and the strength coming from someone most had dismissed as a doddery old man.

"As for building our numbers in the Wizengamot there is a number of things we can do. Firstly I know of two existing members who I believe would be amenable to an approach to join the party. Secondly it would be a good time to revive the old position of _Youth representative to the Wizengamot_, a position Dumbledore himself once held many, many years ago. It has been vacant for twenty years now but I believe it is in your power to revive it, Minister Shacklebolt. I don't see that anyone could raise serious objections to appointing Mr Potter to that position. That would give us four members. There is a bigger opportunity though."

Doge stopped for a moment and had a sip of water. He was shaking a little and his knee was causing him pain but he hoped no one was noticing. "I understand that Waldo Apsley will soon be charged with attempted murder and that a vacancy will become available on the High Warranters. As they appoint most members of the Wizengamot we should develop a strategy to get someone sympathetic to our cause into that slot. Please remember that something like a tenth of the members of the Wizengamot are likely to face charges relating to crimes or complicity during Voldemort's recent reign. They will need to be replaced. It is a rare opportunity."

"I will finish with a simple observation, a simple promise. When we launch this party they will laugh at us. They will dismiss us a group of clueless children and doddery old men. Let them laugh. We will tear their house down and build it anew." He sat down to thunderous applause. No one could believe it. For all the youth around, it was an old man, given fresh hope, who had breathed fire and life into the newborn party.

By the end of the day the new party had thirty members and one representative in the Wizengamot. Harry had been elected president, Hermione vice president and Percy as Secretary, responsible for administration of the party. It was agreed that the party would be officially launched at a press conference in two days' time and all those present, including those who had chosen not to join, had agreed to keep quiet till then.

The DA had a clearer vision of its role and plans were underway to spread it to other schools both in Britain and in Europe. A number of the older DA members who had left school had joined the Order of the Phoenix, revitalising that organisation, enabling it to continue its role as a watchdog against injustice and dark magic.

Kingsley had agreed to revive the position of youth representative to the Wizengamot but insisted, for reasons he could not disclose, that it was not possible to appoint either Harry, Ron or Hermione to the position. In the end, a reluctant Neville found himself slated to become the youngest member of the Wizengamot.

"All in all, a very good day," summed up Arthur as he closed the historic meeting. Soon glasses of fire whiskey and butter beer were floating around the room and everyone began to relax. The mood was jovial and celebratory.

McGonagall approached Hermione. "Miss Granger, I need to have a word privately if possible."

"Of course Professor," she replied alarmed at the formal tone. She led McGonagall to Ginny's room.

"Hermione, it was my understanding that you intended returning to Hogwarts this coming year."

"Yes, it is."

"Could you explain how you were planning on running a political party while a student at Hogwarts. I understand you have also been offered a position on the board of a charity."

"I was hoping to have general permission to leave Hogwarts as needed to attend to various matters. I was also hoping I would be able to receive visitors on business as necessary. The circumstances are hardly usual. I am a lot older than your usual final year students and I believe I have demonstrated the maturity and judgement to justify these privileges."

"Problems always arise when you give special privileges to any one student no matter how worthy."

"You could extend the same privileges to all students who would have finished school last year but for the war. That would only be a small handful, all trustworthy."

"Yes, that could work, but I am worried about your workload. I also need to add to it. I want you to be Head Girl next year. Quite frankly no other choice makes sense. Anyone else I chose would feel totally overshadowed by your presence."

"I am honoured, Professor."

"Hermione, it will be Hogwarts that will be honoured, but that doesn't change the facts. Hogwarts is going to be just as much in need of healing next year as the outside world. There will be a lot for you to do. I don't want you to wear yourself out by trying to do too much as you did in third year. You can have the permissions you seek. I trust your judgement, but please, be very judicious in what you take on."

"OK Professor."

"Hermione, when we're out of school or in private, please call me Minerva, alright?"

"OK Minerva."

"Oh, and one last thing, Hermione, if Mr Ronald Weasley just happens to be one of those people who needs to visit Hogwarts on 'business' do be discrete."

Minerva exited the room leaving Hermione blushing.

It was another two hours before everyone but the Weasleys had left the Burrow. Everything had been cleared away and they were now sitting around the lounge room enjoying the peace. Ginny was sitting in Harry's lap, something now so commonplace it barely registered. Hermione looked exhausted. She was sitting next to Ron, her head resting on his shoulder.

"Happy, love?" asked Ron.

She nodded. "I wasn't earlier, but really it couldn't have turned out any better."

"Today was marvellous," added Arthur, "but now the real work begins. It's not as if we haven't already got jobs. I hope we all understand what we've signed up for."

Every single member of the Weasley family had joined the party. In addition to Percy's role as Secretary, Bill had agreed to manage the finances of the party, Fleur had volunteered to help with recruitment and Arthur was on the executive committee. Ron had a sort of roving brief. In a party of just thirty people, a third of whom were Weasleys, formal roles didn't mean that much though. Everyone was expected to pitch in and everyone would have a say.

Happy but tired, in singles and pairs the family went to bed.

About 2 in the morning Ginny was awoken by loud shouting. "Let me free, let me free, I can save you…. Nooo!"

It was coming from Harry's room. She dashed in, wand in hand. Harry was thrashing around on the bed, his body rigid. His brow was covered in sweat. He was shouting the same words over and over. She rushed over to him and tried to wake him without success.

Though the furthest away, Ron and Hermione were the next to arrive, also with wands at the ready. "You have to wake him Ginny, keep trying," urged Hermione.

"He's reliving the night Dumbledore died, when he was paralysed in a full body bind," said Ron.

By this time Molly and Arthur had arrived. Harry was awake, feeling drained and staring at all the people gathered in his room.

"You had a nightmare, dear," said Molly. "It's over now." She went to fetch some warm water and a sponge and came back to wipe down his face.

"I'll stay with him tonight, in the other bed. He shouldn't be alone," said Ginny.

"That won't be necessary, Ginny," said Molly firmly, "I'll give him a potion to ease his sleep."

Ginny took the sponge from her mother and gently mopped Harry's brow. Molly returned with the potion and gave it to Harry. Soon they all returned to their beds.

Forty minutes later they were all awoken again by Harry's shouts. This time it was very hard to wake him and he looked very weak and pale. Molly was worried. This time she didn't object to Ginny staying with Harry. "Stay in your bed though and keep the door open," she insisted.

"Yes Mum." Ginny pushed the spare bed next to Harry's, climbed in then reached for Harry's hand. Molly wasn't sure she approved of this but said nothing. Once again they all retired and this time they all slept through till morning.

Harry awoke to find Ginny asleep in the next bed, just inches away. She looked very beautiful. So it wasn't a dream he said to himself. He remembered the nightmare. He was watching Dumbledore die, over and over again, unable to do anything about it. One more death he couldn't prevent. He still felt the horror of it. He looked over at Ginny and thought, maybe it was worth it.

Ginny stirred, she noticed Harry and jumped up in surprise, and then she remembered. "How are you Harry?"

"OK, a bit tired. Thanks for staying with me."

"It wasn't a chore Harry."

"I'm glad," he smiled.

"How long have you been having nightmares like that?" she asked, concerned.

"I thought they had stopped after you defeated Voldemort," said Ron entering the room with Hermione in tow.

"They did."

"So what brought it on last night?" Ron asked.

"Doge mentioned Dumbledore's death yesterday, that might be it," guessed Hermione, "but Harry, didn't Kingsley bring the contract to join the Aurors? Didn't you sign that yesterday?"

"Yes, I start in three weeks."

"I'm worried Harry," said Hermione.

"You're always worried Hermione. Maybe it was a once off," replied Ron.

"I hope your right," replied Hermione doubtfully, "Harry can't take Ginny with him on auror training."

"Sounds great to me," quipped Ginny.

"Me too," added Harry.

The Press conference announcing the new party was held the next day in a room attached to the Wizengamot. As a member, Elphias Doge was fully entitled to use the facility. The room was packed. The news that Harry Potter, Hermione Granger and Elphias Doge were to make a special announcement had journalists scurrying from far afield and started the rumour mills spinning in overdrive.

Lee Jordan had organised the conference. Percy had appointed him as Press Secretary largely due to his experience with Potterwatch. Lee had spent a frantic morning the previous day in a muggle library reading up on media management and PR. Like just about everyone else in the party he was on a steep learning curve.

Lee checked his watch. At 5 minutes after midday Lee strode to the front of the room and began.

"Good afternoon, my name is Lee Jordan. I'd like to thank you all for coming today. In a moment Mr Harry Potter will read a brief statement. I will then hand each of you a package with greater details. First let me introduce you to the people seated at the dais. From left to right we have Mr Harry Potter, Miss Hermione Granger, Mr Arthur Weasley, Ms Hestia Jones and the venerable Elphias Doge." Lee had insisted on Arthur and Hestia being present to give the group a better age and gender spread. He was very conscious of Doge's comment about the party being made up of children and old men.

Harry read the statement announcing the formation of the Party for Liberty Equality Justice (PLEJ) to shocked silence. Not one of the rumours suggested anything like this. When he had finished reading he added a few words.

"Many of you have heard me call in recent time for a shift in our society and wholesale reform of our government. After widespread discussion with likeminded people this seems the best way of achieving the needed change."

Lee now opened the floor for questions.

"Rita Skeeter, senior correspondent for the _Daily Prophet_. Mr Potter don't you think you and Miss Granger are a little too young to be heading up a political party. Government requires a certain range of life experience wouldn't you agree?"

"Yes I would, Rita, and as you can see from the people at this table we have such a range. Unlike the recent task that Miss Granger, Ron Weasley and I undertook, we are not doing it alone. Surely you're not going to suggest that Mr Doge lacks life experience?"

"Mr Potter what do you think you can achieve with just one member in the Wizengamot?"

"We don't intend staying at just one member," replied Harry.

"Would you like to tell us how you intend expanding your representation in the Wizengamot."

"No." replied Doge, raising some chuckles.

"Paula Prescott from the_ Sydney Morning Soothsayer._ You recently visited Australia. Did that have any influence on what you announced today and what you intend doing?"

They had expected this question and Harry gave them the answer that Doge had suggested.

"There are many interesting things happening in your country, Paula, but we are putting forward British solutions to British problems."

The questions came thick and fast relating to the new party and what it hoped to achieve. The tone was largely sceptical. However some journalists took the opportunity to ask Harry and Hermione questions on other issues. They hadn't had an opportunity to question them since the day after the Battle of Hogwarts. One question stopped Harry in his tracks.

"Mitch Wildes _Salem Howler._ Harry, at the press conference after the battle I asked you why Voldemort thought you were dead. You promised us that the story would be revealed in the near future. We haven't heard anything yet. Can you answer that question today?"

Harry turned pale. He knew the story would have to come out soon but he didn't want to think about that just yet.

"I'm sorry Mitch, but you're going to have to wait a little longer for that answer."

"How long Harry, a day, a week? Surely we've waited long enough?"

"More like a week, Mitch." Harry new he made a mistake the moment he said it, but he was committed now. His heart sank.

The press conference continued for another 10 minutes before Lee wound it up. They all retreated to Doge's nearby office. All in all they felt it had gone quite well. Then Lee asked a question.

"What was Mitch Wildes on about Harry? What is the story?"

There was stillness in the room, and then Harry said gently "Hermione, could you tell him?"

Hermione then related the story of the seventh Horcrux and Harry's self-sacrifice.

"Merlin," said Lee, clearly struggling. "And the rest of you knew this?"

"I didn't Mr Jordan," replied Doge. "We have to think very hard how we handle this. It is going to seem very manipulative and cynical bringing this out just one week after we launch the party. Unfortunately, we seem committed."

"Sorry about that," replied Harry.

"Don't apologise Harry," said Doge, regarding Harry with fresh eyes. "You don't need to apologise at all."

Later that day Hermione sent an owl to Grantham politely declining his job offer. She gave as the reason a potential conflict of interest between her role in the new party and as patron of the foundation.

Within the hour she received a return owl from Grantham

_Dear Miss Granger,_

_I am sad that you will not be taking up a position with our foundation, I believe we could have achieved a great deal together. However I agree with your assessment that it would have been untenable given your new role in PLEJ._

_Let me take the opportunity to wish you well with the new party, though, having read your platform, it is likely we will be on opposite sides on many issues. Please remember that this opposition is not personal and I hope to remain your friend._

_Yours sincerely,_

_Oliver Grantham_

_Ps. I hope you do decide to go to university. I believe you would derive a great deal from it (and from my point of view it would keep you out of politics for a few years!). Please feel free to come and talk more about this if you like. OG_

That night Harry had another nightmare, waking the household with his shouts. Again it was about the night Dumbledore died. This time there was nothing Molly could say to deter Ginny moving into Harry's room straight away. Despite Ginny's presence Harry still had a fitful night; tossing and turning, waking frequently in a sweat and mumbling when he did catch a little sleep. Both he and Ginny were tired and frayed when they arose in the morning.

Everyone around the kitchen table was analysing the morning's papers. The announcement was front page news, of course, but not exactly enthusiastically received. The general consensus was that the move was well intentioned but more than a little naïve. Some saw it as perhaps somewhat arrogant that such young people would presume to take on such a challenge.

"Well, they may not be cheering," said Ron, "but for better or for worse we're on our way."

"Talking of being on our way," added George, "I have decided to reopen the shop from next Monday. If you still want it, Ron, there's a job waiting for you."

"George," replied Ron, "you're on."


	19. A Little Help from my Friends

Chapter 19: A Little Help from my Friends

Ginny was worried. She was also tired and fed up. Harry was clearly in trouble, but he wouldn't talk. He was having nightmares every other night and not much sleep even without the nightmares. Ginny had more or less moved into Harry's room which meant she was sleeping poorly also. Molly had insisted that Ginny move back to her own room after the first couple of nights but it soon became clear even to her that Harry was far worse when left alone.

During the day he was listless and didn't want to do anything. Ginny often caught him staring into nothingness looking pale and frightened. Sometimes he would shake. Sometimes he would break into a cold sweat.

She couldn't get through to him, neither could Ron or Hermione. No one could. If confronted he insisted he was OK, just needed a little time to himself. He grew increasingly short tempered. At one point he had Ginny on the verge of tears when he snapped at her just for passing him some juice.

When a concerned Fleur suggested they should consult a healer he turned on her, telling her to butt out and that he didn't need her interfering. This earned Harry a severe dressing down from Bill. Harry apologised but he refused to see a healer.

This is how it was at the Burrow when news broke of the seventh Horcrux and Harry's walk into the forest. Kingsley had released a detailed statement to the press. It was news around the world. Weighty editorials were written about courage and self-sacrifice. It may as well have occurred on a different planet. The press staked out the Burrow hoping in vain to question Harry or any other of the residents. Inside the Burrow nothing changed.

Harry's state had a depressing effect on everyone, but they all carried on as best they could.

In contrast to Harry, George, was doing better. The joke shop had now been open a full week. The previous weekend the family, together with a lot of George's friends had repaired the damage caused by Death Eaters, cleaned up, restocked the shelves and put the shop back in working order. They hadn't touched the apartment; George wasn't ready for that; he kept that off limits and didn't venture there himself.

George found it very hard at first, but the support of friend and family got him through it and by the end of that first week he could enter the shop without a tightening of the chest or an overwhelming sadness.

Things between Ron and George weren't so good. Ron had a lot to learn about the products and the procedures in the shop. A part of George's mind expected Ron to be able to do what Fred had done and he got angry or nastily sarcastic when he couldn't. Ron did his best to hold back his own angry responses, trying to make allowances for George. After all, helping George get back on his feet was why he was there in the first place. He wasn't always successful and they had some robust exchanges. Towards the end of the week relations between the two were frosty and both were having second thoughts about the whole arrangement.

It didn't help that Ron was dumping a lot of his left over anger onto Hermione. It came to a head on Thursday night. Ron and Hermione had an almighty row. Hermione had reorganised their room and when Ron couldn't find his favourite t-shirt he exploded and Hermione was in a mood to match him. They had thrown accusations and recriminations at one another at full throttle for ten minutes until Ron slammed the bedroom door, stormed down the stairs, gave George a vile stare as he passed through the lounge and out the kitchen door, slamming it too for good effect.

Two hours later Hermione found him sitting by the pond skimming stones across the surface.

"Does it help?" she asked, startling him.

"Not really, I actually feel I need to punch something."

"Not me I hope."

Ron jerked around to look at her. She wasn't fearful but she was apprehensive, not certain of his mood.

"Never! …I'm sorry for taking it out on you; I didn't mean all those things I said, not that I remember them anyway. It's George I'm really angry at. And I'm worried about Harry, of course."

"Do you want to punch George or maybe Harry?" she said as she sat down beside him.

"Yes…and no. It's not really their fault either. It's just I get so angry."

"Maybe you have to find the right person to be angry with?"

Ron looked at Hermione blankly for a moment then resumed skimming stones.

He started to throw the stones with more and more force, no longer bothering to skim them.

"Voldemort, … effing Voldemort…bloody, stinking effing Voldemort – that's who's to blame." His stones were no longer entering the water but were crashing with a loud crack against a distant boulder. He was now hurling them with such force that it was clear that some of his magic was leaking into his throws, enhancing their power.

"Voldemort." He threw another rock.

Hermione picked up a rock and joined him. "Voldemort," she yelled.

"Riddle."

"Bellatrix," screamed Hermione with true venom hurling another rock.

"Bleeding bloody Bellatrix," shouted Ron as he hurled a rock with the force of true hatred behind it.

This went on for some time, the force of their throws slowly ebbing. After a while it morphed into a game as they competed at finding sillier and sillier things to be angry at. When Ron finally came up with "the scratchy hair on the leg of the flea on the nose on Filch's Mrs Norris" they knew it was time to stop. They both felt enormously better.

Ron closed with Hermione giving her a kiss, and said "I really love you, you know."

"So I'm not an overzealous busybody who doesn't know when to call it quits?"

"Oh yes, you are definitely that, but I love you anyway."

"I see," said Hermione smiling mischievously "and you're definitely an unreformed layabout who is so stuck in his ways he can hardly move!"

"I bet I can move to our bedroom faster than you can."

"And what would be the point of getting there before me, may I ask?"

"You have a point there Miss Granger. No wonder they call you the cleverest witch of your generation. Shall we go together?"

"That we shall." Arm in arm, smiling and laughing the couple returned to the Burrow.

The next day at the joke shop things had been just that little bit better.

On Sunday the whole family came together for lunch. Percy had gotten up the nerve to ask Audrey to join them. The first time he had tried to introduce her to the family, at Fred's funeral, she had been stunned during the ensuing battle and then called to emergency duty at St Mungo's.

Ron was regaling everyone at the table with a tale of two friends who had been separately coming into the joke shop each day that week trying to one up the other with practical jokes.

"The next day his friend comes in and buys a joke snake. It's really lifelike, gave me the shivers."

Ron mimicked the glee of each of the friends as they anticipated the effect of their purchases on their unsuspecting victim and George's glee as the cash register kept on ringing. He had his family in stitches as he described the antics the shop staff performed to keep the friends from seeing each other when they were both in the shop at Friday lunch time.

All eyes were on Ron, all except Harry's. He was staring sightlessly into space. Ginny was ignoring Ron too. She was watching Harry with increasing concern.

Harry began sweating profusely and then started to shake. He was clutching a tumbler of pumpkin juice tightly in his hand. The tumbler shattered splattering Ginny and Charlie with juice. Large pieces of glass clattered loudly on the table and Harry's hand began to bleed profusely.

It was Audrey, Percy's girlfriend, who was first into action. As a trainee healer at St Mungo's she knew exactly what to do to staunch the bleeding. She removed all the glass shards from the wound and then with some Dittany and some deft wand work sealed the cut.

"It'll be a little stiff for a day or two, but then should be as good as new," she said. Then she asked the question. "What happened?"

"He was sweating and shaking," supplied Ginny. "He's been doing that all week. He was clutching that glass so hard it shattered."

Audrey was pretty sure what was happening. She'd experienced some of the symptoms herself in the days after the battle. Percy had also briefed her earlier. She knew though that it was Harry who needed to open up, to describe what was happening to him."

"What happened Harry?" she repeated.

Harry said nothing.

"I've had it Harry, had it!" exclaimed Ginny angrily. "Don't you dare sit there and say nothing or pretend everything's OK. It's Not OK and it's not going to be OK unless you tell us what's going on. Talk to me!"

Harry looked up at her. She was standing hand on hip and was very determined. She also looked hurt and frightened. He realised how distressed Ginny and indeed all of them were and that he owed them an explanation. That decided, he found he wanted, even needed to tell them. It wasn't going to be easy.

"The snake, the snake Nagini at Godric's Hollow, I keep on seeing it over and over again." He was breathing rapidly and his pulse was racing. "Nagini's attacking you Hermione, killing you… and I can't stop it. Voldemort's coming too. It goes on and on, over and over. Voldemort gets closer and closer. I can't save you, Hermione. You're going to die." Harry was close to tears. Hermione's hands flew to her mouth in horror. Part of her mind was reliving the disaster at Godric's Hollow.

Both Audrey and Ginny put a reassuring hand on Harry's shoulder.

"Is that what's been happening all week," asked Ron.

"Similar, not the same," Harry replied, recovering just a little. "Sometimes it's Dumbledore, sometimes Sirius' death, sometimes you, Ron, at Malfoy manor trying to rescue Hermione and unable to do it. You're both going to die. In every case I'm helpless to change what's happening and it repeats over and over again; the people I couldn't save, the people I got killed, the people I nearly got killed."

"Even when these things aren't going through my head I feel apprehensive. I can't bring myself to do anything. I am filled with dread at the prospect."

People watched him quietly, not knowing what to say. After a while Harry added "I think I'm going mad."

"You're not going mad, Harry," replied Audrey "though it might help if you talked to a healer at St Mungo's. You're just processing the trauma you've been through, though you do seem to have got stuck on something. It _will_ be OK Harry."

"But why now?" asked Ginny.

"I'm no expert in this area," replied Audrey, "but probably some recent event, perhaps something someone has said, has triggered it."

"You signed the papers to join the Aurors just before this all started," said Hermione, repeating her earlier theory.

"Harry, it would really help if you saw a Healer, they could help you move through this," urged Audrey.

"How could I see a Healer? Just look outside the boundary; there are still twenty people from the press out there. It would be all over the newspapers. I've already been through a year, my fifth year at Hogwarts, with the papers questioning my sanity. I don't want to go through that again," said Harry.

"Harry, the staff as St Mungo's are very discrete and there are procedures that enable high profile people to get in and out without being seen by press or public. I urge you to do this, Harry," replied Audrey.

Harry was hesitant.

"Harry, I need you to do this," implored Ginny. "I'm scared. I'm worried. I can't take much more of this. Do it for me, please."

Harry looked up Ginny, then at Ron.

"Yeah mate," said Ron, "You should do this. You're mopey enough as it is without all this other stuff happening. Besides, I need a good night's sleep."

"Gee, you're all heart Ron," said Harry, smiling.

"So they tell me."

The next day, Ginny and Harry were sitting around the kitchen table. Ginny was reading a Quidditch magazine and watching Harry surreptitiously. Harry was trying to read the paper, without much success. He couldn't concentrate. He had started the same article several times only to find that half way through he couldn't remember a word he had read.

An owl arrived delivering a letter to Harry. Ginny noticed the St Mungo's logo on the envelope. She watched Harry read it.

"Who's it from?" she asked.

"Audrey. She has talked to that senior Healer she spoke about, the old family friend."

"And?"

Harry handed her the letter. He didn't want to admit he couldn't get past the first line. Ginny wasn't fooled. She summarised the rest of the letter for him.

"Audrey's friend spoke directly with Stephen Keyworth whom he thinks would the best person for you. Keyworth has suggested coming to the Burrow. Audrey would escort him and they could apparate directly into the back yard, away from the prying eyes of the press. They're suggesting tomorrow afternoon."

Ginny summoned a quill and some parchment and started writing.

"What are you doing?" asked Harry.

"Writing your acceptance, of course…. sign here."

With an air of resignation and a frown, Harry signed. Ginny fed the owl and sent him back with the reply.

That evening Elphias Doge dropped in and happily accepted an invitation to stay for dinner.

"I don't get to enjoy good home style cooking much these days, Molly."

After dinner he gave them an update of the political situation.

"As I hoped, the two people I have approached have agreed to join PLEJ. They will both make a statement to the Wizengamot tomorrow."

Arthur and Hermione had both vetted the two before allowing Doge to make the approach.

"It would be good if as many of the party office holders as possible could be there for the announcement," continued Doge.

"Harry can't go," said Ginny with an air of such utter finality that Doge was taken aback. He looked at Ginny and then at Harry.

"I can't make it tomorrow for a number of reasons. Even if I could…." Harry hesitated; he looked down at the floor, then up at Doge. "Mr Doge, I am not a politician and I don't want to be. I am happy to give my name and endorsement to the party and I definitely want a say in what it stands for but I don't want to be involved in the day to day activities. I definitely don't want to be a member of the Wizengamot, not that that is likely any time soon."

"I understand Harry," replied Doge, though he didn't. He tried to hide his annoyance. "You understand you will need to make some public appearances, make some speeches. You do realise that your endorsement, your reputation is the single biggest asset the party has."

"Harry knows that," replied Hermione trying to protect Harry. "He will do what's required, he always has. At the moment, though, there some other things Harry needs to do."

Elphias realised there was something he wasn't being told and he wasn't going to be told. He had learned long ago to accept that this was how it sometimes was. He trusted the judgement of these people and decided to let it rest. He continued with the rest of his report.

"Minister Shacklebolt has succeeded in reinstating the position of British Youth Representative to the Wizengamot. The vote was overwhelming. Shacklebolt reminded them that it was the youth of Britain who did the most to win this last war. No one wanted to look churlish voting against it. He will put his nomination of Mr Longbottom before the Wizengamot tomorrow. It will take a two thirds majority to overrule his nomination and that won't happen. Neville should be inducted as a member of the Wizengamot next Monday and I do hope you can come for that."

Ron started chuckling, he couldn't stop.

"What's so funny, Mr Weasley?" asked Doge.

"I'm just picturing Neville in second year, when some Cornish pixies lifted him by his ears and hung him from a chandelier. If you told us then he would be a war hero and a member of the Wizengamot when he was just 17…"

Both Harry and Hermione burst out laughing as they recalled the scene.

"Neville will be great," insisted Ginny.

"Oh, we don't doubt it," replied Hermione momentarily controlling her laughter, "but if you had been there…" She lost herself in laughter again.

"Well as much as I hate interrupting these school day reminisces, there's another thing I would like to discuss," said Doge.

Harry, Ron and Hermione felt as if they were back at school being reprimanded for interrupting class.

"Sorry, go ahead," said Hermione.

"I believe I have identified the person we should support for the open slot on the High Warranters. His name is Herman Heblog. He is very sympathetic to our party and would probably join if he wasn't seeking appointment to the High Warranters. He thinks he is less likely to win if he was formally aligned to us. I have copies of his CV and his voting record for you."

"Thanks Elphias," replied Arthur.

"I don't want to leave you with the illusion that Herman has a realistic chance of winning. No matter how we play it, I can't see anyone other than either the candidate of the Pragmatist faction or the Traditionalists getting up. I had hoped it might be otherwise."

Conversation drifted onto more general topics. Doge entertained them for a while with a tale of a memorable holiday he and Dumbledore had taken in Paris in 1910. It served as a reminder of how old Doge actually was.

The next afternoon Senior Healer Stephen Keyworth arrived at the Burrow escorted by Audrey. Keyworth had asked Audrey to be his assistant on Harry's case.

Before talking to Harry he wanted to talk to other members of the household who had witnessed his behaviour and had known him for some time. He had already talked to Arthur at the ministry on the pretext of an administrative issue affecting his department at St Mungo's. Molly, Ginny and Hermione were at home and he talked to them for about an hour and a half.

When Keyworth finally came to talk to Harry, Harry was agitated and angry.

"You have all been talking about me behind my back."

Keyworth was sitting opposite Harry in the Burrow lounge room. Audrey was off to the side taking notes.

"Yes," replied Keyworth, "We have been. I apologise, however I find it necessary. Think of it like a muggle doctor using a thermometer and a stethoscope to get an independent view of an issue. It makes my time with you much more productive."

"'Stethoscope', that's a fairly cold description of flesh and blood people for a healer." He said by way of challenge.

"You're having a tough time of it at the moment."

"I guess."

"It wasn't a question Mr Potter. Frankly, after everything you been through I'd be surprised if you weren't. I want to assure you of two things. First, there is nothing unusual in what you are experiencing. It is common even in cases where people have experienced far less trauma than you have. Second, you will get better. I guarantee it."

"Ron and Hermione have experienced just as much trauma, Ginny too. They aren't cracking up?"

"There is no guarantee that at some stage they won't. That said everyone deals with things differently. People find different strategies for dealing with the issues. That's what we have to do for you; find the right strategies that will enable you to process what has happened and get you back to normal."

"Normal? Normal for me is having a psychopath living in my head and doing his best to kill me and those people I care about."

Keyworth was struck. However Harry's was by no means the first case he had dealt with where 'normal' was an appalling condition.

"Let me put that another way. We want to get you to a state where you can be both productive and enjoy life. You deserve that Harry. Everyone does, but you have truly earned it. Now I would like you to describe what happened last Sunday."

Harry didn't want to talk. He didn't like Keyworth's smug self-assurance, his confidence that he could get Harry 'back to normal'. Harry didn't think things were going to be OK. Still, he had promised Ginny he would cooperate. Reluctantly he began.

Keyworth and Harry talked about Harry's recent experiences; his feelings and particularly his thoughts. They also talked about Harry's plans for the future and how he felt about that. They talked for some time. Harry slowly warmed to Keyworth. He began to see that what he had seen as coldness was simply professional objectivity and that there was genuine concern for Harry behind Keyworth's actions. As the conversation unfolded, he felt the first inkling of hope.

"So, what's wrong with me? Hermione thinks all this happened because I signed the papers to join the Aurors. She wants me to pull out for the moment."

"She is only half right. Arthur told me that a few minutes after you signed, Kingsley Shacklebolt made the comment that they would have you leading teams on missions in no time. He believes that was the trigger and I agree."

"Do you want to explain that?"

"Do I need to? I think you know the truth. You were placed in a position of enormous responsibility. People were hurt, people died, people nearly died. You haven't come to terms with that yet. The thought of taking on responsibility for people's lives once again fills you with dread. Your brain is screaming '_No!_'"

"Does that mean I shouldn't join the aurors?"

"No, that should be OK, but it must be made absolutely clear that you are not to be put in a position where you are responsible for the lives of others or leading a team. You are not ready for it. I will write a report to Minister Shacklebolt to that affect."

Contrary to his expectations, Harry felt enormous relief at this, a great weight lifting from his soul. He was still worried though.

"I can't imagine that will do my career prospects any good with the aurors. I'm not sure you're allowed to have mental problems."

"Actually, that is not the case Harry. The auror department has a lot of experience and expertise in dealing with these issues. Stress and trauma are part of the deal of being an auror. They know that people need the space, time and often the help to recover. There is no stigma attached. You have been injured, Harry, in the course of duty. Injuries take time to heal."

"OK, but will I ever be able to lead a team, take on responsibility or will I just crash if I try?"

"That's the crux of it Harry. We have to look at ways that you can come to a realistic view of your own responsibility for recent events as well as enabling you to take on responsibility again in the future. That last part may not be possible Harry. Not everyone can cope well with the type of responsibility where other people's lives are at risk. Many of those who can just don't care and you don't want people like that in the job."

"How do we proceed?"

"Well, I'd like to have a couple more sessions with you and we can review a few strategies and look at a couple of issues. I'd like you to talk to your friends; the ones who were there with you and listen carefully with what they have to say. Think about it too. Talk to Arthur, he has a very balanced view on this. Lastly, I would like to set up some meetings with people who do have the sort of responsibility we are talking about, healers for example. You can look at ways they deal with the issues. It is not easy for anyone who is worth their salt."

Keyworth took his leave, leaving behind a much happier and confident Harry.

Harry walked into the kitchen where Ginny, Molly and Hermione were pretending to have a conversation.

Harry sat down next to Ginny and looked into her frightened and worried eyes.

"It's going to be OK," he said.

Ginny jumped into his arms and cried a little.

"It's going to be OK."


	20. Let's Do a Deal

Chapter 20: Let's Do a Deal

Arthur studied the 15 people in the room. There were holding a party meeting in a conference room on the second floor of the Ministry of Magic. Doge was giving them a rundown on the various factions in the Wizengamot. None of this was news to Arthur; he had had to work with these different factions ever since he had first held a management position in the ministry. Besides, Doge had given them the same briefing the previous week.

The largest faction by far was the so called _Pragmatists_. Arthur despised them. They used their position in the Wizengamot to enhance their careers in the ministry and in other organisations. They used their ministry positions to enhance their careers in the Wizengamot. The only principle they recognised was self-interest. Gemalla Wenglespon was their leader as well as the chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot, a position that gave her considerable ability to influence proceedings on the floor.

The second largest faction was the _Traditionalists_. They were conservative in their outlook and believed that the old families had a special duty to guide society. They had influence beyond their numbers. Grantham was not the formal leader of the faction, indeed he was the youngest member, but due to his dynamism and intellect, he was increasingly being seen as its dominant player. Arthur disagreed with just about everything they stood for but he acknowledged that in general they were men and women of principle.

The _Merchant Lobby _and the _Guild _faction were both about the same size. They were natural enemies. The _Merchants_ wanted economic liberties and free markets while the _Guilds_ wanted to keep much economic activity under the control of the traditional craft based guilds. Automatic representation in the Wizengamot gave guilds such as the Healers guild and the Potioners guild enormous clout.

The smallest group called themselves the _Purists_. Everyone else called them the _Fanatics_. They had exalted in Voldemort's rein, using their positions enthusiastically to support his programs. Nominally, they had seven members in the Wizengamot. However, four, including Dolores Umbridge, were in Azkaban, two were on the run and the last didn't dare show his face outside his home. All would soon be expelled. It wasn't just the _Fanatics_. Every faction had at least one member who was either in Azkaban or who was under investigation and had been suspended. It was a sorry record.

The factions weren't rigid structures; they were more like informal groupings. They couldn't guarantee that all their members would vote the same way on any one issue. In addition to the factions there were also a dozen members who could be regarded as independent. This made for a very dynamic environment. Complex deals were necessary to get anything through.

When Doge's briefing was finished, they discussed their strategy for getting their candidate into the vacant slot on the High Warranters. They agreed they would formally announce their support for Herman Heblog when the slot was declared vacant later that day.

Attention then turned to Neville. This morning he would be inducted into the Wizengamot and he looked a little shell shocked, as if wondering how he had got himself into this situation. Still his grandmother would be there, proud as punch, as would most of his friends. With great effort he had persuaded her not to wear her vulture hat. Luna had told him she would wear the bright yellow outfit she had worn to Bill and Fleur's wedding because, as she said with shining eyes, "it is a celebration and because you will bring a bright light into a dark place." With Neville, the new party would have four members in the Wizengamot, by far the smallest grouping.

The meeting was winding up. Arthur was satisfied with what he had observed. There was a great deal of enthusiasm in the room, true determination and perhaps more confidence than was actually warranted. That was good too, concluded Arthur. A young party needed confidence.

Most of those present were attending Neville's induction and they now escorted him to the main Wizengamot chamber with great fanfare. The public gallery was already rapidly filling as was the press gallery.

When the time came, Neville stood on the edge of the chamber, a large staff in his hand. As ceremony required he raised it high and struck the floor loudly three times. The Pontifex Wizen, a small tufty haired wizard, strode forth and asked in a loud clear voice.

"Who stands there demanding admittance to the ancient Chamber of the Wizen?"

"I, Neville Francis Longbottom do demand my due place among the leaders of the Wizen."

"Who among us certifies this strangers right to be admitted among us," demanded the Pontifex Wizen.

"I Kingsley Odubai Shacklebolt, Minister of Magic, so certify."

"If any challenge the legitimacy of this certification, proclaim it now."

Silence.

"Step forth Neville Francis Longbottom and be admitted."

Neville took two steps forward into the chamber. The Pontifex Wizen then administered an oath of loyalty to the Wizengamot. He then handed Neville a set of plum robes.

"Don these robes as a mark of your authority to enter this chamber." Neville put on the robe.

The Pontifex Wizen then placed a cap on Neville's head. "May this cap remind you of your duty to act with deliberation, compassion and justice."

Neville stood tall and proud. He looked splendid in his robes.

"Neville Francis Longbottom, be welcome among us."

The Wizengamot, as was the tradition, gave him a standing ovation. The public gallery erupted with applause. Hermione, Ginny, Luna and Hannah Abbot all had tears of joy and pride in their eyes as did his grandmother.

The Speaker then called the Wizengamot to order.

"First order of business is nomination of candidates for the vacant position on the _Convocation of Warrants and Antecedents_ or, as we like to call them, the High Warranters."

Each of the faction leaders stood in turn and nominated their candidate for the position. Herman Heblog was nominated by one of his friends but Doge was quickly on his feet seconding the nomination.

The surprise was the nomination of Rufus Lazarre. This clearly infuriated Gemalla Wenglespon, leader of the _Pragmatists_. Lazarre was a long standing and senior member of that faction but they had refused to nominate him because he had alienated too many of the other factions. He was unelectable. He had decided to nominate as an independent candidate anyway and was sure to draw some votes from the faction's official candidate. Lazarre didn't care.

Lazarre, an archetypal _Pragmatist_, was a larger than life wheeler and dealer who always seemed to come out on top. He was widely known as Rush Rufus for the way he put deals together and how people felt about it later. Lazarre's nomination brought smiles to both the _Traditionalists_ and the _Merchants _who now fancied their chances.

Before the first round each candidate had an opportunity to put forward their case for election to the High Warranters. There was little interest in what most had to say, they had heard it all before, but they were looking forward to hearing Lazarre and curious about Heblog.

Heblog put his case succinctly.

"Of the eighty members of this assembly, a staggering fourteen are missing. They are in Azkaban, on the run, under investigation for serious crimes or too ashamed to show their faces. That is an unanswerable indictment of this place. It is rotten. It is broken. Business as usual is no longer acceptable. You can help the process of reform by supporting me or you can be swept away by the tide of history. The choice is yours."

"_and we don't choose you_!" is what many present said to themselves. The speech was met with polite applause and many sniggers.

Lazarre was even more succinct.

"You know me," he said gruffly, "I get things done. Vote for me and I'll fill this place with people who get things done." He sat down.

To win, a candidate had to gain at least 50% of the vote. In the diminished Wizengamot this meant 34 votes. The first round of voting was a simple show of strength, with each faction voting for their own candidate. The _Pragmatist_ candidate, Evan Supplemeir and the _Traditionalists'_ Paul Steelman both gained 15 votes each. The _Merchants _came next with 12 votes. Surprisingly, Herman Heblog received 10 votes, the same as the _Guilds_ candidate, Paula Pestle. Heblog had clearly gained a large proportion of the independent vote, although with secret ballots being used it wasn't possible to be sure where votes came from. Lazarre had taken 4 votes off the _Pragmatists_ and they were not happy.

Now the real work began. The winning candidate would need some support from at least three factions. That meant difficult negotiations. The _Pragmatists_, of course, would do a deal with anyone as long as it didn't diminish their ability to rort the system and profit from deal making. The problem was finding two other groupings that could stomach each other enough to get a deal done.

The best bet for a deal was with the _Guilds_ and the _Traditionalists_. These two were natural allies, though they had some serious differences, especially when it came to job preference for members of the old families but they generally saw eye to eye. The main problem was that the _Traditionalists_ held most _Pragmatists_ in utter contempt.

After lengthy negotiations the three faction leaders came to a deal. All three factions would vote for the _Pragmatist_ candidate. They would also support a law increasing the range of goods and services that could only be supplied by the guilds. Traditional rights of the leading families would be supported against any reform attempts.

It was the nature of the Wizengamot that faction discipline was loose and so were tongues. It was impossible to make deals of this nature without everyone else knowing. The Merchant faction was frantic. The deal with the _Guild_ spelt disaster for many businesses. It threatened to wipe out years of market reform. They tried to bargain with Wenglespon. She simply replied "You just don't have enough votes to offer me." The _Merchants _called in all the markers they could with the independents.

Doge spotted an opportunity. He tried to form an alliance with the Merchants. They had less to lose from the reforms that PLEJ wanted than any other faction and PLEJ was not opposed to market reform. This was only true in the sense that PLEJ didn't have a policy on market reform but Doge didn't see the need to stress this point. The _Merchants _were sympathetic but not yet ready to abandon their own candidate.

The atmosphere was tense as votes were counted for the second round. The Pragmatist candidate, Evan Supplemeir, gained 33 votes, just one short of that required. To the numbers men it was clear that a significant number of the _Traditionalists_ couldn't bring themselves to support the oily Supplemeir. One of them was Grantham. He was doing his best to see the deal fail. He was now ready to make his move.

Grantham got the go ahead from his sceptical faction leader to attempt pulling together a coalition with the _Merchants _and the _Guilds_. Grantham was thinking far beyond today's vote, important though that was. He was thinking of the future shape of the Wizengamot and today he would start building a grand coalition against radical change.

He gathered together the most influential members of the _Merchants _and the _Guilds_ as well as those from his own faction.

"I expect that most of you will laugh when I share my thoughts with you," Grantham started. "I'm OK with that as long as you listen and later reflect. We face a serious threat. That threat is PLEJ."

They did laugh. One of the Guildmen spoke up. "Grantham, you have to be joking. They only have four members and they're run by children."

"Three weeks ago PLEJ didn't even exist. It may have escaped your attention but on the first round vote today this three week old party gained as many votes as your four hundred year old faction. You may not have noticed that there is no longer a single member of the _Fanatics_ left in the chamber. They were effectively destroyed on the battlefield by the very children you deride. The next to be destroyed will be the _Pragmatists_, sunk under the weight of their own moral turpitude."

"Oh come now, Grantham, they are the largest faction. They aren't going anywhere soon."

"You are wrong. PLEJ makes a valid point when they claim the Wizengamot and the ministry have seriously failed the wizarding community with disastrous, deadly results. Reform _must_ occur. Decent, competent and just government must be provided. If we resist, we will be swept away. If we strive to provide that government ourselves, we will thrive. There is no place for the _Pragmatists_, their day is done. The question is who feasts on their corpse, us or PLEJ."

"I can't see it happening. The Wizengamot and the ministry hold all the levers of power. I can't see anyone giving that up any time soon. I can't see how PLEJ can force it," said one of the Merchantmen.

"Voldemort held all the levers of power, and he is dead. History tells us that when the winds of change are in the air, things happen very quickly. However, as I said at the start, I do not expect any of you to agree with me at this point. I just want you to think and observe. Today we have to elect someone to the High Warranters. Whoever we choose to elect, I believe that we should agree to a power sharing arrangement. We should strive for a situation where all new appointees to the Wizengamot are shared equally between our three factions; none going to the _Pragmatists_, none to PLEJ, no new independents."

They were all stunned by the audacity of this proposal.

"You're an ambitious man, Grantham. It's no small vision you are selling."

"I am trying to sell you a future."

They broke up to consult their own factions. They reassembled ten minutes later.

"Grantham," spoke the leader of the _Merchant_ faction, "we may be interested in this alliance you offer, but there is much to be discussed before we can agree. As for today, we will support your candidate as long as, if he fails to get the numbers, you then support ours in the next round. We will even agree to support the _Guild_ candidate in the third."

The _Guilds_ agreed too, as long as their candidate went before the Merchants. They tossed a coin to break the deadlock with the _Merchants _winning.

News of the deal sped around the Wizengamot. When told of Grantham's prediction of her faction's demise, Wenglespon laughed. "Sanctimonious fool, when it comes to a contest between self-interest and principle, always back self-interest. Now let's go and get the votes of those independents."

Doge's response was similar, "The idiot has driven away the independents."

"No," replied Hermione, "He's no idiot. He's trying to do something much bigger than win today's vote. He's certainly paid us an enormous compliment."

"He's definitely playing the long game, smarmy bleeder," added Ron.

When the next vote was counted, Grantham's coalition was two votes short of victory. The numbers were the same the next two rounds. The coalition had come close but had failed to achieve victory. Heblog continued to gain support and now had an encouraging 15 votes.

Wenglespon decided to put pressure on Lazarre to withdraw his candidacy. She needed those four votes. It was what Lazarre had been waiting for. He made Wenglespon an offer.

"Support me for the next two rounds. If I fail to win I'll withdraw. Do a deal with the Merchants. You're right that the _Guild _will never support me."

Wenglespon didn't like it. She was more than a little annoyed at 'Rush' Rufus Lazarre, nor could she see how Lazarre could win. Still, she had nothing to lose and it was just possible that this consummate deal maker could pull off a miracle.

"You better fulfil your side of the bargain," was her response.

Wenglespon offered the _Merchants _support for significant market reform, totally untroubled by the fact that she had earlier promised the exact opposite to the _Guild_. The _Merchants _swallowed their distaste for Lazarre and did a deal.

Tension was high as the next vote was taken. No one was sure what Lazarre had up his sleeve.

"Should we be worried," asked Hermione already looking very worried. She had the pre exam jitters.

"No," replied Doge. "It should be fine."

Silence fell over the chamber as the results were read. The silence became deeper still. Lazarre had won with 35 votes. Everywhere, members tried to understand what had just happened and how, Grantham among them. The numbers didn't make sense. He glanced over at the members of PLEJ and was stunned. They all had broad grins on their faces. He came, unwillingly, to the inevitable but bizarre conclusion that PLEJ had engineered this result. It explained the grins and it explained where the extra numbers had come from, but why? Lazarre was everything PLEJ was against.

The _Pragmatists_ hadn't noticed the grins at PLEJ, they were too busy grinning themselves and slapping Lazarre on the back. The speaker called the assembly to order and then, as was the tradition, asked the successful candidate to address the Wizengamot.

Lazarre was uncharacteristically shaky as he began.

"There are more than a few people in this chamber who would be surprised to know that I am a man capable of love." More than a few people laughed.

"I am though. What not many in this place know is that I have a sister. I love her very much. The reason you do not know of my sister is that she is …was a squib. Like many families we kept her from public view but that did not mean she wasn't loved. She was deeply loved. She was lively, loving, kind. We all adored her." The silence was profound. No one expected Lazarre to talk like this.

"My sister married a Muggle-born. He was a good but simple man. He worked as a sales assistant at Flourish and Botts. My sister adored him and they had three beautiful children. I begged him to register with the muggle-born registration commission. I could have protected him, but he refused. He, unlike me, was a man of principle."

"Two months ago they came for him. I still don't know exactly what happened but I do know this. The monster that led the arrest team murdered my sister and my gorgeous little niece. Killed them without a second's hesitation. 'Worthless muggle scum' he called them. My brother in law died in Azkaban five days later."

Lazarre's raw emotion cut through and many who never thought it possible began to feel sympathy for him. Others were beginning to wonder where all this was going.

"Who had appointed this monster? Did the Dark Lord dredge him up from some stinking sewer? Did some Death Eater lordling foist his degenerate son on Magical Law Enforcement? The answer is far more horrible. It was I, as part of some sordid deal, who had this man appointed to his position. I knew this man was unsuitable and unsafe, but what did I care, the deal helped me build my network of patronage and influence."

"Now when my young nephews stare at me with their pain filled eyes and ask me who killed their darling mother, who killed their baby sister, who killed their father, I can only answer, 'I did'. …It is unbearable."

"I stood confronted by what I was, by what I had become. Everything I had done, everything I had achieved was like dung in my mouth. I have to tell you I came close to suicide. Then I found my salvation."

"I don't know why, but I went to the memorial service at Hogwarts. I heard Mr Shacklebolt and then Mr Potter speak and I knew what I had to do. A lifetime of amends may not be enough to undo all that I have done but what I can do, I will do."

"Many of you who voted for me will rue the day you did so. You will call 'foul', but I made you no promises, offered you no support, made you no deals. I said I would do only one thing. I said I would fill this place with people who would get things done and so I will. I will fill it with people who will help me clear out this fetid swamp, help me sweep away the people whose only loyalty is to their own interest. If that is you, then go! Go now! Your day is over."

The assembled Wizengamot, the visitor's gallery and the press gallery were in a state of shock. Only the leaders of PLEJ who knew what was coming were capable of applauding. There were some hisses too but mostly there was silence. All present realised they had witnessed something extraordinary; It wasn't just that they had heard a speech of astounding passion and honesty. It wasn't that they had seen a dazzling political coup. No, today it had become clear that the world had changed and business as usual had to be redefined.

Grantham was, perversely, pleased. Today he had lost a battle, but now they would no longer laugh at his assessment of PLEJ and the winds of change blowing through the wizarding world. It would make his job, if not easy, at least easier.

Ron too was pleased. Lazarre had approached the party the previous week, seeking to join. He told his story to an incredulous Doge and a few others. When his story checked out, a quick meeting was put together to decide if someone like Lazarre should be allowed to join. It was Ron who spotted the opportunity. They had already concluded that Heblog had little chance of winning the Warranters spot.

"In chess," Ron had said, "you never let your opponent know your true aim. No one knows that Lazarre is on our side. We can use that to get him elected."

Hermione was horrified. "It's dishonest, it's not who we are!" she exclaimed.

"It's not dishonest, Hermione," insisted Ron. "We make no false statements, no false promises. We must be scrupulous about that. We make sure Lazarre behaves the same way. The _Pragmatists_ aren't a formal party so he doesn't have to resign. That's right isn't it, Mr Doge?"

Doge nodded.

"What other people choose to think is their business," concluded Ron.

Hermione wasn't entirely convinced. She insisted on stringent ground rules before relenting. The other person who was reluctant was Lazarre. He had the fervour of the convert but found himself persuaded when the ground rules were explained. His wealth of experience then came to the fore and the master wheeler and dealer greatly refined their tactics.

Within a few hours of the victory both Lazarre and Heblog had formally joined the party. Within the week two more independents had joined and one member each from the _Merchants_ and the _Guilds_ had defected. PLEJ had ten members in the Wizengamot, one more than the _Guilds_. They had one member on the High Warranters and the Minister of Magic as a close ally.

It was a good start, but only a start. The low hanging fruit had been gathered. Now the hard slog would begin.


	21. Imagining a Future

Chapter 21: Imagining a Future

Harry wasn't taking in a single word Ginny was saying. He was sitting at the Burrow dinner table just as he had exactly two weeks before when he had shattered the glass in his clenched hand. He was totally lost; lost in Ginny.

He was vaguely aware that Ginny was babbling excitedly about the Granger's home. They had spent the day there yesterday with Ron and Hermione repairing the damage and preparing the home for the Grangers' return tomorrow. He wasn't listening to Ginny, though. He was drinking her in. He was drinking in her laughter, her smiling eyes, her gorgeous flowing red hair, her sweet face, her lithe body and her warm, happy voice.

Ginny had been with him through his nightmares, his moodiness, his fears and fits of temper. She had stayed up with him at night when he couldn't sleep, woke him from his nightmares, watched over him during the day. She had cajoled and then bludgeoned him into accepting help. And he had got better, much better. He hadn't had a nightmare in a week and though he still found himself going over the horrors of the past it was less frequent and had less power.

Into the space left by his passing nightmares and ebbing fears, flowed Ginny. He had felt his love for her swell and he was, for the first time in a long time, truly happy. For Ginny too, there had been relief at first, giving way to happiness. They had talked and talked. They had said more to each other, shared more and more deeply during the last week than they had in all the time since the battle.

They hadn't just talked of course. They had spent much time in each other's arms in the private places of the Burrow. With the unerring perception of the mother of seven children Molly had insisted Ginny return to her own bedroom at night. "You are looking far too happy Ginny. Oh, and Harry dear, please don't start feigning nightmares!" Harry blushed. Doing just that had crossed his mind. Molly's admonition hadn't stopped Ginny sneaking into Harry's bedroom on several nights. Harry felt no inclination to object.

Tomorrow he was starting with the Aurors, beginning with a ten day initial training camp. He found himself looking forward to it without apprehension.

The previous week, Harry had had another session with Healer Stephen Keyworth. They had talked about different ways that Harry could think about his experiences and deal with his overwhelming sense of responsibility, guilt and helplessness. He suggested as one exercise that Harry try to describe the perfect person to do the jobs Harry had had to do. What skills would they need, what experience and knowledge and all the other attributes they would require to do the best possible job. The next step was to find someone who matched the description.

Keyworth had also shared some of his own experiences.

"You've probably heard of the Crifflesling disaster." Harry nodded. "I was a trainee healer at the time. Some irate former employee has set fiendfyre loose in the Crifflesling office building. Well I don't have to tell you about fiendfyre. It raced through the building at blinding speed. Thirty people never made it out. Most apparated out just in time, though not before receiving critical burns. People apparated to the first place they thought of. We had victims who were far too injured to be moved spread across the entire country. Medical resources were spread way beyond breaking point."

"I was sent to a small village in the North. Three people had arrived there in a very bad condition. I panicked, I felt totally inadequate. I desperately called for help but the answer came back in no uncertain terms. There is no help, do what you can. And so I did, I applied what I did know to the situation, ignoring out of necessity the things I didn't know. I saved two of them."

Harry looked only vaguely impressed, as if he was thinking "_so what, do you want a medal?_"

"The reason I'm telling you this is not to impress you, and certainly not to teach you anything about taking on responsibility. I have never known anyone less likely to walk away from responsibility than you, no matter what the cost. No, I want to share with you what happened to me next in the hope it might be of help."

Harry was looking at him curiously now, wondering what was coming.

"The thing is Harry, I made a mistake, a big one and this killed the third victim. I don't know if he would have survived otherwise, but I do know that what I did killed him. I made the wrong treatment choice. To say I felt bad about it would be a great understatement. I went through something a bit like what you've been going through."

An old German Healer took me aside. "Did you think you vere going to be ze first Healer in history never to make a mistake?"

"Well, no." I replied, wondering whether I really did think that I could go through my whole career never making a mistake.

"And vhat do you think vould have happened if you veren't there, vhat do you think vould have happened if you didn't act?"

"Two of them would have died."

"And here is the important question. Vhat have you learnt?"

"Well in cases where the burn ext -"

"No, No, No I do not mean the medicine; you must always keep learning more of that. No, vhat did you learn?"

I stood looking at him puzzled.

"Come back to me tomorrow and give me your answer, I vill be vaiting!"

I saw him the next day. "Vell?" he said impatiently.

"There's a quote at the front of our emergency healing textbook from Gunhilda of Gorsemoor. I had always thought it odd. This last day, though, my mind kept going back to it. '_The best tool I have to use today is what I am today; not what I might become; not what I think I should be but what I am today. I must keep on sharpening that tool but it will always be inadequate._' This is what I have learnt."

"Good, very good. Now go heal."

Keyworth watched Harry, gauging his response. "I have never forgotten that lesson. I still make mistakes and I have to keep on sharpening the tool. I have come to accept that the tool I am will always be imperfect and that the price of doing any good at all is to get some things wrong. That's something I want you to think about, Harry."

Harry had had several conversations like that. One was with Arthur. He told Harry about the time when a gang were smuggling in charmed ovens that were being sold to unsuspecting muggles as automatic cookers. They did a great job too. Unfortunately, they had a tendency to explode if you tried to cook coq-au-vin. Arthur was head of the investigation. He felt out of his depth but it was his task. One person was killed and two were blinded before he solved the case. As a result of the experience Arthur totally re organised his department but he had still had a hard time coming to terms with it and he shared that with Harry.

Harry discussed both these conversations with Ginny.

"I suppose it all makes sense," he said. "Anyway, the good thing is I don't have to worry about taking on any responsibility for others myself. I've done my bit. Let someone else have the worry."

If Ginny was concerned at this response, she didn't say anything. She was happy enough that his nightmares were diminishing and he was less and less frequently seized with reliving the trauma he had been through.

Kingsley had visited. He was at pains to stress to Harry that he would not have to lead a team or take responsibility for others until he said he was ready. He was clearly distressed by the role he had played in bringing on Harry's crisis. He was apologetic.

"I was far too busy thinking of the needs of the job and spent far too little time thinking of the needs of people in the team. That's poor leadership. I should have stopped to consider what you've been through before asking more of you."

"It's OK Kingsley," replied Harry.

"Oh, by the way, thanks for sending me those wand holsters. They're amazing. They went through our evaluations with flying colours."

"Cool, aren't they," said Ginny.

Kingsley chuckled. "You should have seen the fights in the Auror's department to see who was going to get those first three. We've ordered thirty more from Australia."

Later, Harry talked to Ron and Hermione. They tried to answer Keyworth's question about the perfect person to do the job Harry had done. They had taken it seriously at first.

"It'd be a good start if they had some of Dumbledore's intelligence, power and knowledge," began Harry.

"He'd need to be reasonably young and fit too," said Ron.

"And she'd definitely need Snape's occlumency and legilmency abilities," added Hermione.

They grinned at each other, realising what an unlikely combination this was. Ron summed up.

"So we're after a 25 year old 'half-blood princess', hopefully without the bad breath and greasy hair, and with the knowledge and powers of a 115 year old mega wizard. I think I saw a couple of people like that in the typing pool last time I was in the ministry."

They were quiet for a while.

"You know what I really think," said Ron, "I think you need a stubborn curly haired specky git with a saviour complex and a psychopath sharing his head and who has two dumbass friends who are just crazy enough and care about him enough to follow him into hell."

"That just about sums it up," agreed Hermione.

"Yeah," said Harry slowly, smiling warmly at his two friends, "yeah, did you see any one like that in the typing pool?"

Harry was brought back to the present just as Ginny finished her description of the Grangers' home. A very handsome white owl flew in and delivered a formal looking letter to Hermione. The ivory envelope was made with a richly textured substantive paper. Hermione read the enclosed letter, written in a neat elegant hand.

"Who's it from?" asked Ron.

"Oliver Grantham," replied Hermione. Ron scowled.

"He's inviting me to a fund-raiser for his _Muggle Born Repatriation Foundation_. He has included an invitation for Harry as well. He has also asked if I would like to speak." She handed the letter to Ron.

Ron's scowl deepened as read the letter. "He signs off 'your friend, Oliver.' Who does he think he's kidding, smarmy bastard."

"Just because we don't agree with his politics doesn't mean he isn't a good man, Ron. It doesn't mean we can't be friends," replied Hermione with annoyance.

"You're not thinking of going, are you?" asked an incredulous Ron.

"We're both going Ron, as I hope will Harry and Ginny. I intend to speak too. It's a good cause and that's what I will say."

"Bloody hell, Hermione, he's using you."

"Well, we can use each other then. Are you going to come or are you going to sulk?"

"Alright Hermione, alright, I'll come, but don't say I didn't warn you."

"I'll consider myself warned then," said Hermione with disdain. "Will you come, Harry, Ginny?"

"I guess," replied Harry without much enthusiasm. "I suppose I ought to meet this guy anyway."

Ron looked at the invitations that had been included with the letter.

"Great; 'Miss Hermione Granger and partner'. That's us Ginny. We're just 'and partners' now."

"He knows we are together, Ron. It's been front page news. He would have invited you directly otherwise."

"Yeah sure."

"Maybe he wants you out of the way, Ron. Maybe he has designs on Hermione."

"Very funny, Harry. As I understand it, he is a happily married man with three young children."

"Sure done our homework on him, haven't we," said Ron sarcastically. Hermione didn't bother to reply.

**·****·**

At this very moment, Oliver Grantham was hosting a meeting in his London home. Present was the same group he had called together during the vote to fill the vacancy on the _High Warranters_.

Representing the _Guilds_ faction were Hypon Gallant and Paula Pestle. Gallant was one of the most respected healers of the age and a fierce protector of the entitlements and preserves of healers. Paula Pestle was a potioner. Many who met her only saw a short mousy brunette and dismissed her as a non-entity. They missed her penetrating eyes and sharp intellect. She had fought her way to the top of the _Potioners'_ Guild and was a force to be reckoned with.

Mercuto Blake had a sharp thin face, with eyes that looked as if they were measuring everything in the room. Perhaps they were; he was a man who missed very little. He and Adam Mallot were representing the _Merchants_ faction. Mallot had a ruddy complexion that hinted at too many nights spent in a tavern chasing deals.

Rounding off the group was Paul Steelman, a fellow traditionalist. The people Grantham had gathered together were not the formal leaders of their factions but they were the most influential. They had the power to make things happen. Making things happen was what Grantham very much wanted. He wanted to forge the formal alliance between the three factions that he had first proposed nearly a week ago.

The six people were seated on leather lounges in Grantham's well-appointed study. There was a faint scent of wood polish and leather. Shelves crammed with books of all shapes, sizes and colours filled an entire wall. Two other walls were panelled with a light wood. Each held an oversized historical painting. One was of the signing of the _International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy _in 1689. The other depicted the _Battle of Hogsmeade Hill_, the final battle in the 1612 goblin rebellion. Large glass doors on the final wall gave a view onto a formal garden.

Grantham offered them refreshments which they declined.

"I guess you brought us here to gloat, Grantham," suggested Hypon Gallant.

"I'm not the sort of person to gloat."

"Hah. You should," replied Mercuto Blake. "We laughed at you last Monday when you said PLEJ was a threat. Then, they only had four members in the Wizengamot. As of today they have ten."

"I only count nine," said Gallant.

"I hate to be the one to tell you this, Hypon, but you'll find that you have just lost Jenny Peabody. She has defected to PLEJ. They now have more members than you."

Both Gallant and Pestle turned pale.

Steelman picked up the thread. "I would add the Minister of Magic is a member in all but name, and they now have a seat on the _High Warranters_ so they are bound to pick up even more members. That was an extraordinary coup. I didn't think old Doge had it in him."

"I'm not sure it was Doge's doing," said Grantham. "Unfortunately, unlike every other faction, they don't leak. Their internal goings on are opaque."

"Gemalla Wenglespon has been spitting chips all week," laughed Adam Mallot. "She still can't believe she got outmanoeuvred by an 'old man and a bunch of kids' as she puts it. You can be sure she has crossed Rufus Lazarre off her Christmas list."

Paula Pestle spoke for the first time. She was dismissive. "I still think you're overstating the problem, Grantham. They'll pick up a few more seats when the expelled members get replaced; they'll end up with 14 tops out a total of eighty in the Wizengamot. They can't force the sort of change they're talking about, like all this democracy nonsense."

"No, they can't, if we are united. That's what I am trying to achieve. But Paula, never underestimate the power of an idea with good, honourable people behind it. It can be enormously attractive, especially after the turmoil we have just been through. The defections speak loudly to that. If an old reprobate like Rufus Lazarre can see his redemption in PLEJ you are dealing with a phenomenon that cannot be ignored."

"You sound like you admire them,' replied Mercuto Blake frowning.

"Oh, I do – as individuals. I just believe that many of their ideas are naïve and dangerous. They have to be opposed."

"Huh, you're not wrong there!" Mallot agreed.

"The thing is they are also trying to do what we should have been doing all along – providing good government. They are leading the charge against corruption, incompetence and complacency. That makes them very attractive. If we are to put ourselves forward as a credible alternative, we must do the same."

They all stared at Grantham with stunned looks.

Hypon Gallant broke the silence. "As I said on Monday, that's no small vision you are selling, Grantham. Not only do you want to form an unlikely alliance, now you want us to push the reforms that Shacklebolt is introducing. Opposing those reforms was why I thought we were getting together in the first place."

"No, _controlling_ the reform agenda is why we need to get together. Do not think you can oppose reform, Hypon. You will get run over if you try. What we have to do is make sure the good isn't thrown out with the bad."

"You're going to have to explain that a bit more, Grantham. Surely you are not going to support the democracy reforms PLEJ wants."

"Of course not Paula, we have a meritocracy and it works well in principle. The best and brightest get appointed to the Wizengamot. I don't want to change the principle. I want to make it work properly in practice. That will take a commitment from all of us. Your _Guilds,_ for example, get six guaranteed seats that you can fill as you see fit. Do you appoint the most capable people or do put in hacks as part of some factional deal. The _High Warranters_ appoint 80% of the members of the Wizengamot. They normally choose from candidates put forward by the factions. Are we all putting forward the best possible candidates? I don't think so. The Wizengamot has become a cesspool of patronage and corruption. So has the ministry. If we don't clean it up, it will be done for us and we'll get cleaned up with it."

For the next half hour he explained his ideas in detail with great passion. Despite their natural scepticism, after all they regarded themselves as hard headed realists, they found themselves been caught up in his enthusiasm.

"We will need to have Shacklebolt dismissed and get our own person appointed as Minister of Magic," said Paula.

"Yes, that will be crucial," replied Grantham. "We need to find the right candidate. Personally, I would suggest Hypon here. However, I am sure you will all need to give this much thought."

Hypon Gallant sighed. "I thank you for the vote of confidence, Oliver, however I am pretty sure that our merchant friends would find that unacceptable. I'm right, aren't I, Mercuto?"

"I'm afraid so, Hypon."

Gallant continued. "Frankly, there's only one person who I think could pull this off and keep these three factions together. That's you Oliver."

"I agree," said Mallot. The others nodded.

Grantham burst out laughing. He was genuinely surprised.

"Are you all mad? I'm only 36. I am an ambitious man, but I'm under no illusion that I have either the stature or the experience to take on the job of Minister of Magic."

"I beg to differ," said Paula. "You have already demonstrated the energy, understanding and I might add the integrity that would stand you in good stead. If you can pull this alliance together then you are definitely the man for the job."

"I have a young family and I'm still trying to build my legal practice. I'm not ready to go into full time politics. It's not yet my time."

"The times call forth the wizard," continued Paula. "Please think about it. We will consider other candidates also, but think hard."

"Well then," asked Gallant, "when should we make our move against Shacklebolt?"

"I suggest we bring forth a no confidence motion towards the end of August," replied Mercuto Blake. "The _War Investigations Commission_ is putting out its interim report on the 1st of August, in about four weeks' time. No matter how Shacklebolt responds, he will annoy a lot of people. He will be at his most vulnerable."

"Excellent," said Grantham, "That gives us just about the right amount of time to get everything in place. We have a lot of work to do to get this alliance into reality, a lot of people to bring along. You four will have to find a way for the _Guild_ and the _Merchants_ to put aside your traditional differences and come up with a compromise on market reform you can both live with. I will do whatever I can to assist." Pestle and Mallot looked sceptical. Gallant and Blake sighed, resigning themselves to long hours of difficult negotiations.

"I would like to ask one more thing; we try and keep this as secret as possible. I am aware we will not be able to hide the fact a move is afoot. However, I would prefer it if our opponents didn't get to read all the details in the _Daily Prophet_."

Grantham took up his wand. A cabinet door opened and a silver tray with six cut glass tumblers rose in the air. When each person present had a glass of fire whiskey in their hands he proposed a toast.

"The alliance!"

"The alliance!" they echoed.

When they had all left Grantham was joined in the study by his wife Vanessa. She was an attractive, shapely woman in her early thirties. She had wavy, jet black, shoulder length hair and deep soulful eyes you could get lost in.

She gave her husband an affectionate kiss. He handed her a fire whiskey and refilled his own glass.

She sat down beside him and snuggled in. "How did it go?"

"Very well, I think. The alliance should go ahead. Lots of things could still go wrong though."

"I'm sure it will be fine."

He took a deep breath. "They want to make me Minister of Magic."

Vanessa sat bolt upright almost spilling her whiskey. She stared at Oliver.

"It's ridiculous!" he said.

"I don't think so, Oliver. A surprise, yes, but in no way ridiculous."

"I'm too young."

"Harry Potter and his friends have demonstrated quite convincingly that being too young is no barrier to doing great things. They're only half your age."

"Minister of Magic is a very different kind of job."

She put down her whiskey, took his hands in hers and looked up into his eyes. "Honey, I fell in love with you on those long summer nights when we sat out on my father's porch and you would talk for hours about your vision for the future, about how much better things could be, about how fragile our world was and how it needed protection. I fell in love with your passion, your goodness and yes your intelligence. Of course, those good looks didn't hurt either." She tickled him teasingly. "Oliver, you still have all that. I can't think of anyone I'd rather see in the job."

"It would mean a big adjustment on your part. Between the kids and your job as a healer you are already stretched. You'd have to cut back a little on both of those. My income would be cut too. Minister of Magic isn't a well-paid job."

"Oliver, we have never been about the money. If you choose to do this you have my full support. If you decide not to do it, that's OK. I trust your judgement. Just don't say no because of me or because you don't think you're ready. No one is ever ready for that job."

Oliver Grantham leaned back into the lounge and sipped his whiskey. He began to imagine a future that just that morning had been unimaginable.


	22. We're in the Aurors Now

Chapter 22: We're in the Aurors Now

"If aurors always have to start this early, I think I'll stick with the joke shop and George," complained Ron. It was 8:00am. Harry, Ron, Ginny and Hermione were walking briskly through Paddington station in London.

"You're just annoyed because you got up too late to have time for a proper breakfast, Ron."

"Well if you had woken me up early enough, Hermione, I would have had time." Hermione just huffed. She had repeatedly hit him with a pillow attempting to get him out of bed on time.

"I'm going to miss you two," jibed Harry.

"What about me?" asked Ginny in mock indignation.

"Ginny, 'miss' doesn't even begin to describe it." They had just arrived at their destination. He pulled Ginny into a tight embrace and gave her a big kiss on the lips.

"Ahem….morning Harry, Ginny."

Harry looked up to see Neville, who appeared just a little embarrassed. He was standing with Luna, Cho, Seamus, Lavender, Pavarti Patil and Terry Boot none of whom seemed the least embarrassed. Seamus shaped for a wolf-whistle but then clearly thought better of it.

"So who's joining the aurors and who's here seeing someone off?" asked Hermione. Except for Luna, the others were all joining the Aurors. Ginny gave Cho a momentary glare at this information. If Cho noticed, she gave no sign.

"Good to see that you're fully recovered, Lavender," said Ron with more hope than conviction. "You had us worried there for a bit."

"I've still got some scars that aren't going away."

"They're hardly noticeable," lied Hermione.

"The scar running down the neck to the collar bone is quite prominent, Hermione. Don't you think so Lavender?"

Lavender blanched but then broke into a broad smile. "Yes Luna, I think you are right."

They were standing on platform 4 inside the spacious train 'shed' built by Isambard Brunel in 1854. Despite its age, it felt very modern. The high steel arch and glass construction allowed the space to be flooded by natural light. The station was very busy but didn't feel in the least congested.

The auror recruits had been told to be on platform 4, near the staircase, by 8:30am wearing muggle clothes. They had been given no other information, not even their destination. Two other groups stood nearby. They displayed the tell-tale signs of magical folk not quite pulling off muggle clothing.

A huddle of young witches stood beside a pile of boxes, furtively glancing at Harry's group and giggling. Ron noticed one of the witches clutching a copy of the latest _Witch Weekly_. He frowned. The current issue had a lengthy profile of Hermione that barely mentioned Ron at all. Much to his surprise, this irritated him immensely though he said nothing to Hermione.

Nearby, a witch and two wizards, all in their mid-twenties, stood watchfully. They looked fit. They had clearly recognised Harry's group, but were content to talk among themselves.

At precisely 8:30am four people strode onto the platform. Harry recognised Adam Gristlewaite, whom Kingsley had appointed as the new head of the Auror Office. He had replaced Gawain Robards, who had collaborated far too closely with Voldemort's regime. Two of the others looked vaguely familiar.

"Listen up," said Gristlewaite, "I want those coming with us to be on carriage 1 within 4 minutes. Those saying farewell, do so now."

Gristlewaite turned to the group of young witches. "Ah, thanks girls for bringing down the training material. Could you load it onto the train? No levitation mind, there are muggles around."

Those staying behind began saying their farewells. Luna gave Neville a chaste kiss. Ginny and Harry's kiss was somewhat less chaste and certainly more lingering.

"See you all in ten days," said Harry as he finally broke away. He turned and walked toward the train.

Ginny watched him go with some trepidation. She feared he was not going to be OK without her or Ron and Hermione. He still wasn't fully recovered. She was going to miss him too. They had rarely been apart since the battle. She had to get used to that, though. In a couple of months she would be returning to Hogwarts.

There was a part of her that was also annoyed that Cho would be with Harry. She had held the kiss with Harry longer than she might have, laying down a clear marker – _this one is mine_.

When Harry had disappeared into the carriage, Hermione tugged at Ginny. "Come on, we need to go. The Heathrow express leaves in 5 minutes and we have to get to platform 7." They were going on to Heathrow to welcome back the Grangers and were cutting it fine. Ron wasn't joining them as he was needed at the joke shop. He would catch up with the Grangers tomorrow night. He and Hermione were planning on staying with them for the next two weeks, Hermione from that night.

Hermione gave Ron a quick kiss and then she and Ginny dashed off leaving him alone on the platform. He sat down on a bench, deciding to wait till Harry's train departed. Ron felt strange and somewhat resentful watching Harry head off for a new stage in his life that, for now, didn't include him. He told himself he had made the right choice, that it was George who really needed him now. It would be easier to believe if things were better between him and George at work.

The group of young witches gave him a furtive look as they walked by chattering, probably heading back to the ministry.

"….her brains and looks, she could have had anyone. Why him. I mean…"

"Great," he thought, "I don't need you to tell me I'm lucky to have Hermione." He looked at his watch. He was going to be late. He had promised George he would be at the shop at 8:45 to take delivery of a shipment of _Wonder Witch_ products. In a funk, he slowly departed Paddington station.

Harry, too, felt strange as the train pulled out of the station. He hadn't expected it, but it felt utterly wrong to be off on a new adventure without Ron and Hermione at his side. He was still surrounded by people he had known for half a lifetime, with whom he had grown up but it wasn't the same. Ron and Hermione were like extensions of himself. They had shared so much, faced so much together that he felt almost naked setting forth without them. He was going to miss Ginny too. Well, it was only ten days, he told himself.

The witches and wizards had the carriage to themselves. After they had been underway for a few minutes, Gristlewaite got to his feet. With a neat twist of his wand he shrunk several of the seats and moved them to the side creating a clear space at the front of the carriage. A garish sign near the door threatened serious penalties for damaging railway property. Gristlewaite transformed it into a whiteboard.

"Listen up," he said unnecessarily. Gristlewaite looked to be in his late seventies. He had a thick shock of white hair that capped his lean, erect frame. The gnarled skin of his face and hands was in stark contrast with his crisp white shirt.

"For those of you who don't know me, my name is Adam Gristlewaite. I have been dragged out of retirement by Minister Shacklebolt to head the Auror Office. My predecessor got just a little too close, a little too compliant with Voldemort's government. That by itself should give you a good idea of the wretched state of the Office, but I'll paint you a fuller picture."

The train lurched around a corner but Gristlewaite held his feet with seeming ease.

"A year ago, the Auror Office had 30 aurors. Today we have 13. Nine aurors are dead. Some were murdered by death eaters for not acquiescing to the new regime, others died in the line of duty. More than a few died fighting for one side or the other in this last war. Many aurors resigned rather than serve the new regime and by no means have all of them been persuaded to return. Deplorably, six aurors have been dismissed or asked to resign for cooperating with crimes carried out by Death Eaters. Minister Shacklebolt has taken a hard line, but one that was necessary. What remains of the Auror Office is a small core, tested under fire and found worthy. Today we start rebuilding around that core. "

Gristlewaite looked over the ten young witches and wizards in front of him, as if appraising each.

"Each and every one of you," he continued, "has been tested under fire and found worthy. You wouldn't be here otherwise. You have all demonstrated skill, courage and moral fibre under extraordinarily difficult circumstances. It goes against the grain for me to say that to new recruits, but we haven't got the time to play the usual games. From today you will be full-fledged Aurors. We all need to come together as a team and you need to be able to respect yourselves and each other." These words prompted Harry's group to look over the other three recruits and wonder what they had done to earn such a description.

"I think it's time you recruits met each other. Could you please stand when I call your name; Paul Appleton, Heloise Abbott, Grollo Porfey." The witch and two wizards who had been talking together on the platform now stood.

"Mr Appleton, Mrs Abbott and Mr Porfey are officers with our sister and much larger organisation, Magical Law Enforcement. They have outstanding records, both in the field and academically. They also paid a heavy price for refusing to participate in wrongful activity under Voldemort's regime."

The DA members were also asked to stand and were introduced. Gristlewaite then administered a simple oath to all the recruits.

"Congratulations, you are now aurors. I now have to head back to London. Take over Williamson." With these final words, Gristlewaite turned on the spot and disapparated.

A tall man stood forth. He looked about forty. He had short brown hair tinged with grey, and a close cropped black and grey beard. He had a face of no particular distinction and a placid expression. His brown eyes, though, were clear and sharp. He spoke with a soft, almost deadpan voice that the recruits strained to hear over the sounds of the train.

"Welcome to the Aurors. My name is Harvey Williamson. I'll be in charge of your program for the next ten days. I'll be assisted by Herbert Savage and Cherry McGruder." He indicated the two people standing behind him.

"Some of you may have seen one of those Muggle movies about boot camp where sadistic instructors make life hell for new recruits and try and break them. Well, the good news is we won't be doing that. The bad news is that you are going to be very busy and you won't be getting much sleep. Over the next ten days we will be doing two things. We will be completing a thorough evaluation of your skills, abilities and knowledge. We will identify what you each need to learn and develop individual training programs. For the next two years you will be training as well as working as aurors. Some of you will also be doing your Newts. In addition to evaluations we will be giving you a crash course in Auror procedures and operational protocols. These are important. The Aurors are a team and these procedures enable us to perform that way. It's also possible that you will be asked to take part in an actual operation. Any questions?"

There were none. "OK, we have broken you up into two teams. Potter and Chang you will be joining Appleton, Abbott and Porfey to form the green team. Cherry McGruder will be your instructor. The rest are in the red team with Herbert Savage as instructor. Please form into your teams now. Your instructor will give you details of our destination. We will be apparating there in 15 minutes."

Old Pwllhyd was an abandoned Welsh copper smelting town. In its heyday in the 1850's 3,000 families lived cheek by jowl in small houses jammed into the narrow valley. Reminders of the past were everywhere, abandoned mines, derelict warehouses and industrial buildings and collapsing houses. There was even a stone church and a town hall, now without a roof. The variety of natural landscapes as well as the man-made structures provided an ideal environment for training. Many varied scenarios could be simulated. The Auror Office and MLE had set up a joint training facility in the area. The valley was controlled by a front organisation belonging to the Ministry of Magic so training could take place away from muggle eyes.

A few birds were pecking at seeds scattered on the courtyard outside the old Town Hall. They were startled into flight as thirteen people popped out of thin air. Williamson pointed to a building that to muggle eyes still looked like an abandoned warehouse.

"Accommodation is over there. You have fifteen minutes to find your assigned rooms, get into your training gear and get back here. We have no time to waste."

Twenty minutes later they had assembled in a hall that looked like a cross between a basketball court and a medieval torture chamber. Harry recognised many of the vicious pieces of equipment that dotted the hall. The room of requirement had provided similar items when the DA trained. Others baffled, even alarmed him.

They divided into their two groups. Cherry McGruder was the auror in charge of Harry's green team. She appeared to be in her mid to late twenties. Harry wondered if she had been close to Tonks, who was about the same age.

"OK," said McGruder, "we're going to take you through a range of basic spells to see what you can do, starting with a shield spell. I am going to hit you with a stunning spell. I want you to block it. I will keep on increasing the strength till you go down."

The two male recruits from MLE, Grollo and Paul, smiled at each other. Harry realised they didn't believe Cherry could bring them down. They were after all experienced Magical Law Enforcement officers and the same age as Cherry. Harry hoped he wasn't going to embarrass himself. After all the hype about him in the paper, and the confidence put in him and the DA by Kingsley they had a lot to live up to.

The five recruits got into line facing Cherry. She hit them each with stunning spells, increasing the power with each round. After four rounds they were all still standing. None had really had a problem though Cho was concentrating hard.

"Now that my wand's warmed up we can really start." Cherry's wand flashed with amazing speed as she moved from one to the other with rapidly growing power. Soon both Paul and Cho were in difficulty, sweating profusely and giving ground. Cho then Paul went down in rapid succession. Cherry called a brief halt and renervated the two. She was sweating a little herself and her breathing was elevated.

"Alright, now we get serious." Harry was still able to block Cherry's stunning spells but was amazed at the power behind them. Heloise Abbott went down but Grollo Porfey remained standing. Harry sensed movement at his side and was just in time to block a stunning spell coming from Harvey Williamson. Grollo, given that extra second of warning was also able to parry Williamson's attack.

Harry and Grollo were both working quickly, parrying attacks coming from two directions. It was tiring work. Attacker and defender were all breathing heavily. Then Grollo mistimed his counter spell and down he went. There was no break. Harry came under rapid fire attack from shifting directions. He was just holding his own when an attack came from a third direction. Harry's wand flashed, sparks flew and the smell of ozone filled the hall. All eyes watched Harry as he parried attack after attack. The three senior aurors circled Harry, never letting up, varying the timing of their attacks so Harry couldn't get in to a rhythm. He defied them for forty seconds but then Cherry hit him sooner than he expected, sooner than he could cover and down he went.

When everyone had been revived Williamson called them all together. "That was excellent, even those of you who went down in the first round are close to the basic required standard. You have small flaws in your technique which we can fix. Potter, Porfey and Longbottom, your performance was outstanding, but you too have flaws in your technique. We can make you better."

"Huh, I bet I could have done just as well if I had the Elder wand," muttered Paul Appleton.

Neville overheard and responded so all could hear. "That isn't the Elder wand Harry's using. It's the same old wand he's been using since first year."

"OK," continued Williamson, "I want each team to pick a team leader. We will be rotating the role so you all get a turn."

"You're the hero of the moment, Harry," said Heloise Abbott. "I nominate you."

"Nah, why don't you have a go Heloise?" And so Heloise was elected leader of the Green team.

For the next two hours they were put through a gruelling set of exercises testing their magical skills. Sometimes they were pitted against the instructors, sometimes against each other.

"OK everyone, time to hit the showers. After lunch we will be working in the classroom. Go!"

The recruits dashed out of the building leaving the three instructors alone. "I'm surprised and impressed," commented Williamson. "I thought Shacklebolt was mad when he suggested making 17 and 18 year olds operational aurors. These kids, though, with luck, might just be good enough to stay alive while we train them properly."

"I'm not surprised," replied Cherry. "I've fought against them in real battle."

Both Williamson and Savage were startled, and then they remembered.

"Ah right," said Savage "You were the one imperiused to join the attack at the Weasley funeral."

"Yes. It was the kids who made the difference. They kept their cool when they were taken by surprise and were in deadly danger. They fought with skill. Longbottom led a counterattack on our flank of such ferocity that our position collapsed. I was deeply impressed."

"Yeah, well," grizzled Savage, "they still have some serious flaws in their techniques and holes in their armouries, any one of which could get them or us killed."

"Agreed, but we need them and we need them now," said Williamson.

After lunch they were all assembled in a classroom.

Williamson addressed the recruits. "I am going to introduce you this afternoon to the most important tool in the Auror Office's armoury. We aurors are not just a bunch of fighters. We are a team, an organisation. That makes us much more powerful." He held up a printed sheet of paper. "This is an 'r47-2'." A malicious grin spread across his face.

A groan went up from the three MLE recruits. "Not here too," sighed Grollo.

"Ah, Mr Porfey, I see you are familiar with this item. Would you care to explain it to the others?"

Reluctantly Grollo got to his feet and shuffled to the front of the class. He took the form from Williamson gingerly; as if afraid it might bite and held it aloft.

"This is your worst nightmare, an instrument of torture designed to make your life hell." The three instructors and Grollo's MLE colleagues chuckled. The younger recruits look confused. "This is the standard incident report form. If the Auror Office is anything like MLE you will waste half your life wrestling with this form."

Williamson took over. "Thanks Grollo, everyone in the Auror Office feels exactly like you do. However, writing reports and organisation is just as vital to our work as field operations. You don't have to like it, but you do have to do it conscientiously and well." They spent the rest of the afternoon learning how to write proper reports the Auror Office way, the MLE recruits doing as much tutoring as learning. Harry thought about Hermione; she would love this.

**·****·**

The following afternoon it was Ron who was thinking about Hermione. To be more accurate he was thinking about Hermione's father. Ron was standing outside the Granger's front door. He was nervous. He had gotten on well enough with Hermione's parents in Australia, but that was neutral ground. Now he would be spending the next two weeks on their turf, under intense scrutiny. He would also be sharing Hermione's bed. The Granger's knew that Ron and Hermione were sleeping together of course but Mr Granger had never given any indication that he was OK with the situation. Ron felt distinctly uncomfortable. Gathering his courage he pressed the doorbell as Hermione had instructed him.

Almost immediately the door flung open and Hermione flew into his arms. Hermione was excited. "It's going to be great having you here. There's so much I want to show you." She dragged him inside where an amused Jean Granger waited.

"Hello Ron, it's nice to see you again." She gave Ron a half hug and a quick kiss.

"Welcome home, Mrs Granger. How was the trip?"

"Please it's Jean."

"Thanks, Mrs….Jean."

"I'll let you get settled in, Robert isn't home yet but he'll be home in time for dinner."

Hermione led Ron upstairs and into her bedroom.

Dinner that night was strained. Robert Granger was just as uncertain about Ron being in his home as Ron was. He had come to both like and respect Ron. All the same, Hermione was still his "little girl" and part of him didn't at all like this interloper sharing her bed. He knew, though, how much Ron cared for Hermione, how far he would go to protect her and it was this that enabled him to accept if not welcome the situation.

"Hermione tells me you're a good chess player. Would you like a game?" asked Robert after dinner.

"That would be great, Mr Granger" said Ron who had actually hoped he could get away and be alone with Hermione. They moved into the lounge room and Robert set up the board. After the first five moves Ron was no longer nervous, he was engrossed in the game. Hermione came in and sat next to Ron. "Who's winning?"

"It's even so far," replied Ron who was playing black.

"Is that what you think?" commented Robert with a twinkle in his eye. After another five moves Ron was feeling the strain. His queenside was under enormous pressure and his pieces were cramped. He thought long and hard.

"Knight take pawn at e5" He sat back and waited, and then, when nothing happened he remembered he had to move the piece himself. Robert was surprised; not because Ron forgot to physically move his knight but because the move made no sense. Ron lost a knight for the gain of a single pawn. He sensed a trap but couldn't see it. He got an education two moves later. Ron moved a pawn one square and Robert's queen was doomed. He resigned three moves later.

"Hermione wasn't wrong. You are a very good player, Ron. I haven't been beaten in three years and that was by a highly rated club player. Of course I wasn't really trying. "

"Don't lie Dad!" laughed Hermione.

"It's the one intellectual pursuit where I can beat Hermione."

"Which he rubs in all the time," added Hermione.

"Would you like another game Ron? I'll try this time,"

"Sure, but why don't we use my board. I'll be back shortly." There was a pop as Ron disappeared. Five minutes later he was back with his wizard chess set.

Robert looked on with utter fascination as the pieces assembled themselves into their proper positions. The pieces looked like statues that had escaped from the façade of a gothic cathedral. The pawns looked like gargoyles. Still they were clearly recognisable. "Are the rules the same?" asked Robert.

"Yes," replied Ron "but you don't have to move the pieces yourself. Just say your move out loud. Here let me show you. E5." The pawn in front of Ron's king moved forward two squares.

Robert's eyebrows lifted. "C5," he said and was enraptured when his pawn moved as ordered. On Ron's third move Robert got a real shock.

"E4-C5," commanded Ron. His pawn raised itself high, the arms extended and long sharp claws extruded from the hands. The claws slashed Robert's pawn which disintegrated in a shower of dust.

"Wow," said Robert. When he had recovered he ordered his knight to take the offending pawn. He was astounded as the Knight leapt over another piece and then skewered the hapless pawn on its lance and tossed it nonchalantly from the board. "Oh my."

Robert gave up on playing the game to win. He chose his moves simply so he could watch the pieces do battle. Ron soon joined him and the board became an orgy of destruction.

"Boys!" said Hermione and moved off to read a book.

"That was fun!" exclaimed Robert. "You could make a fortune selling that game to the general public."

"Unfortunately it's against wizarding law."

"Yes, I know; the _International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy_. Hermione's explained it to me before. What a pity."

"Would you like another game Mr Granger?"

"No thanks Ron, it's time I went to bed. Besides I think I should reread my chess strategy books before taking you on again."

"You have books on Chess?" asked Ron who had never heard of such a thing.

"Oh yes, over there on the second shelf." He indicated the large overflowing bookcase at the side of the room.

Robert and Jean said their goodnights and went upstairs. Ron smiled at Hermione, and then walked over to the bookcase. He found the chess books, but his eye was attracted to a fat green book that stood beside them entitled _The Campaigns of Napoleon_. On a whim he opened it. He saw a chapter on Waterloo. He had heard about Waterloo and he started to read. He was soon engrossed.

He was fascinated as he read about the different units being manoeuvred over a complex landscape. This was like chess but with many more dimensions. And these were flesh and blood people. He knew what it was like to be in battle. Beyond the abstract moves, he understood the great human drama being described. He could imagine himself in the battle, experience the fear, the determination and courage. He was hooked.

Still reading, he crossed the room and sat down. There was much he didn't understand, muggle terms unfamiliar to him, but he was determined to understand it all.

"What are you doing?" asked a surprised Hermione.

Ron took his time before replying. Without looking up he simply said "reading."

"Yes, I can see that much, Ron. What are you reading?"

"_The Campaigns of Napoleon._"

"You're reading a muggle history book?" exclaimed Hermione in absolute astonishment.

"I'm trying to, but I keep on getting interrupted." Hermione's jaw dropped. Her eyes flashed angrily but then an amused expression crossed her face.

"Well I'm going to bed now, are you coming with me?" she said seductively.

"Later."

"You sure you don't want to come now," she pouted playfully, pushing his book down so he had to look at her.

"Soon," he said, pulling the book back up.

"I'm taking my shirt off now." She purred as she unbuttoned her shirt. Ron didn't look up from his book. He was only pretending to read it though.

"That's nice."

"Do I have to strip to get your attention, Ronald Weasley?"

"I don't know," he said finally looking up from his book, "but I'm all for conducting the experiment."


	23. Standard Procedures

Chapter 23: Standard Procedures

It was day 7 at Auror camp and Harry was having breakfast with the other recruits. They were tired but in good spirits. While the evaluations had exposed many areas where each recruit needed additional training, no one had disgraced themselves. The recruits from the DA and Magical Law Enforcement had grudgingly come to respect each other. It hadn't been easy. The MLE recruits, especially the boys, felt resentment that their five years of service counted for nothing and the 'kids' would be coming into the aurors at the same level.

The DA recruits were famous and that didn't help either. Every single one of them had been written up in the papers at least once while the contributions and risks taken by the MLE recruits had gone unremarked and unrecognised by the public. It made a difference that the DA members didn't carry on like 'stars'. It became apparent to Grollo and Heloise that the DA recruits were just as surprised at being there as everyone else. They also showed respect for the MLE recruits' experience and a willingness to learn from it. Paul was a little slower coming around and at times his resentment showed.

What frustrated both groups was the heavily prescribed nature of Auror operational procedures. The MLE recruits found the procedures more complex and often at odds with those they had been taught. For Harry and DA, improvisation and flexibility was how they operated.

The Aurors had detailed procedures for everything from surveillance, to arrests, stakeouts and hostage situations. Procedures were good. They made sure you didn't forget things and gave you a plan of operation distilled from many years' experience. The DA members learnt many things about tactics and strategy, things that would have been very useful this last year. What worried them was the rigidity.

Herbert Savage's approach didn't help. He insisted on strict adherence to procedure. Two days before, they had a field exercise simulating taking down a small group of dark wizards holed up in a barn. Terry Boot, who was red leader at the time, led the assault. He varied the standard procedure to take advantage of the steep slope on one side of the barn with brilliant results. The defending team was quickly overwhelmed.

After the exercise Savage gave Terry a severe dressing down. He had him stand in front of all the recruits and then started.

"The standard procedures are there for your safety and those under your command. They have been written by people who know a lot more than you. They are not negotiable. What you did was irresponsible and wrong."

Terry, flushed with the success of his tactics wasn't fazed. "It worked didn't it? The procedures can't possibly cover every contingency or opportunity that presents itself in the field."

Cherry McGruder tried unsuccessfully to cover a smile. Savage became apoplectic.

"You smart little snot, do you think because you've been in a couple of battles you know everything" he bellowed. "Do you think you are so smart you can ignore generations of field experience. Your arrogance is phenomenal. You're demoted from team leader. Red team can find someone who won't get them killed."

Terry shrugged off the incident. As sometimes happens with very intelligent people, he didn't often care about the opinions of people he regarded as less intelligent than himself, which was most people. It wasn't the first time he had angered someone for going his own way, either. It was Cho who distressed by the incident, and Harry and Heloise who reassured her.

This morning they would be doing evaluations of their potions skills. Not for the first time, Harry wished he still had the _Prince's_ potion book. He was about to serve himself some extra bacon when Savage and McGruder burst into the mess.

"Attention, everyone! We've been assigned a real mission this morning. No one else is available. I want everyone in the classroom in 5 minutes and we'll give you a briefing. Move!"

Harry quickly snagged some bacon and some buttered bread as he joined the others heading for the briefing. When he arrived Cherry was pinning a map to the board.

"OK, here's the situation," started Savage, "we have been asked to arrest two Dark Wizards from Germany. They are not Death Eaters but are apparently very nasty pieces of work. They have left a bloody trail of assault and murder wherever they have gone. Things were too hot for them in Germany and they have fled here hoping to lay low. They think they can take advantage of the disarray in our Auror Office. That is their mistake." There was bloodlust in Savage's eye. He was energised by the thought of action.

"As of 05:00 this morning they were camped here, close to the river Avon and about 5 miles from Stonehenge." His wand rapped the map, almost tearing it. "They have set up wards and, we must assume they have set up alarms to warn them of anyone approaching. We outnumber them more than 5 to one so we will use the standard procedure for assault with overwhelming force. We went through that on Sunday and I'll take you through it again now. This time I don't want any clever innovations, understood?" He glared at Terry as he said this.

"Where's Williamson," asked Terry pointedly. No one had seen him for two days.

Savage flushed. "Auror Williamson was needed elsewhere. He will no longer be taking part in this camp. I have been placed in charge." No one said anything.

Fifteen minutes later, they apparated to a position about 500 metres away from the Germans' camp site. A thick row of trees screened them from their target. Savage and Grollo Porfey scouted the area and confirmed the two dark wizards were still there. They were cooking breakfast in front of their tent.

The plan called for Cherry and Heloise set up an anti disapparition field to prevent their quarry escaping. Then, using whatever cover they could find, they would all move stealthily to a step off point about 300 metres from the camp. Cherry, Savage and Grollo would then attempt to bring down the wards. Once that was done, the Germans would know they were there. Speed was then essential. They would attack in line, half of them working to stun the Germans, the other half providing a protective shield.

As soon as they saw the terrain the recruits groaned. The Germans had chosen their camp site well. Their tent was in the centre of a rough circle of boulders, each about five metres apart. Outside this circle there was very little cover.

Terry and Neville approached Harry. "This is ridiculous," said Terry. "The standard procedure here calls for approaching from the direction that gives the attackers the most cover and the defenders the least. There is no such direction in this case. We should attack from two directions. Then at least one group of attackers will have a clear line of sight. It'll all be over in seconds. Anything could go wrong doing it Savage's way."

"You should talk to him, Harry," said Neville. "He won't listen to me and he certainly won't listen to Terry. This isn't training. This is for real."

"Last time I was responsible for a battle over 50 people died," replied Harry in a strained, almost chilling voice. "Let someone else take responsibility. I've done my share."

Sudden silence surrounded Harry. "Is that why you have three times refused to take the leadership of green team, Harry?" asked Neville slowly. There was both sadness and disappointment in his tone.

"Yeah," he replied quietly. Harry experienced a momentary sense of shame. He could sense the disappointment, even the loss of respect around him. All the same he meant to stick with his decision. "Kingsley has told me that I do not have to take on a leadership position and I don't intend to do so. I just want to be the best auror I can be."

"I'll talk to Savage," said Grollo who, like many others, had overheard the entire conversation. He turned from Harry in disgust.

Savage wouldn't listen to Grollo. "Things can go wrong when you split your force. We have overwhelming firepower and we don't need to take the risk."

Savage gathered the team together. "You've all been in a fight before. You all know what you need to do. Keep sharp and keep together. Let's go."

They were all familiar with fear, but none of them wore it comfortably. Each in their own way gathered their resolve and one by one stepped out from the screening trees and moved as stealthily as they could to the start point. None were detected by the quarry, but they were out in the open. For several anxious minutes, Cherry, Savage and Grollo struggled to find the right combination of counter spells to bring down the wards. Eventually they cracked it. The team sprang into line and advance steadily, defensive shields in place and ready to stun anything they saw.

A rabbit chose the wrong time to leap from its burrow and was hit simultaneously with three stunning spells. As they realised their mistake the tension broke and there was a brief moment of relief quickly shattered by a barrage of deadly curses. The shields held but the air crackled and the smell of sulphur assaulted their nostrils. The curses were coming from behind a large boulder, but the only visible target was the occasional flash of a wand and the hint of a hand that was gone before it could be hit.

They moved steadily towards their target, frustrated with their inability to hit the enemy while forced to constantly parry lethal attacks. A small mistake could have dire results.

With a hundred yards to go, Terry tripped on a root. Down he went and with it the shield that was covering him and Pavarti Patil. A searing blue light flashed past Pavarti and down she went. Lavender moved to help her but Savage stopped her. "Back in line, Brown. Let's finish this thing," he yelled.

Terry scrambled to retrieve his wand and quickly re-established a shield covering him and Pavarti. It seemed to him that all the attacks were now aimed at him and Pavarti. He frantically checked her for injuries all the while trying to maintain his defensive shield. She was unconscious. Her shoulder and left arm had been badly burnt, blisters bubbling on her skin. The shirt covering the area had disintegrated and what remained was smouldering around the edges of the wound. He ripped it off. Rapidly alternating between shielding spells and treating the wound he applied a cooling spell and then a balm spell on the affected area. He desperately hoped there weren't other injuries.

The line of aurors approached closer and closer to the boulder. Harry had just about had enough. He had sent stunning spell after stunning spell at one of the flashing hands only to see the hand disappear just as his spell launched. He changed tacks. "_Expelliarmus_" he yelled. This time his timing was perfect. A wand flew up in the air and towards Harry who gleefully caught it. The disarmed wizard panicked and ran. He was soon in the open and was easily brought down. Shortly after, another lucky shot caught the other dark wizard and down he went too. Savage ordered Cherry to help Pavarti and then rushed to secure the prisoners.

A Healer soon arrived, summoned by Cherry's patronus. She stabilised Pavarti, then, after advising Savage that Pavarti was out of danger, apparated with her patient to St Mungo's. As was standard procedure, Cherry, who was second in command, escorted the wounded auror. So did Terry.

Savage selected three recruits to help him take the prisoners to the Auror's lock-up. He ordered the rest of them back to base with instructions to start writing their reports on the day's operation.

The mood in the camp was sombre. There was no elation at having successfully completed their first mission as aurors. They were all too aware that the injury to Pavarti could have been fatal. If the spell had been aimed just a little more to the left it would have been. There was great relief when Cherry returned with the news that Pavarti would fully recover. She would not be taking any further part in the camp though.

As always after an Auror operation, there was a debrief. The process in the Aurors wasn't just about gathering information. It was also designed to be therapeutic. Auror missions were often dangerous and officers needed a chance to unload their feelings and tensions. Partly because there had been a serious injury, the debrief was conducted by Gristlewaite himself.

It was soon apparent to Gristlewaite that many of the recruits blamed Savage's inflexibility for the incident. It took much of his negotiating skills to defuse the situation. He managed to endorse Savage's decision pointing out all the things that might have gone wrong if they had done it differently while at the same time listening honestly to everyone and treating their views with respect.

In private with Savage, Gristlewaite was less supportive of his decision, suggesting that he should think long and hard about how he had conducted the operation. All the same, Savage left the debrief feeling vindicated. He also felt resentful that the first large operation he had commanded was under a cloud. He blamed Terry Boot for this and would not soon forgive him. Terry for his part still blamed Savage and would not soon forget.

The remaining three days of the camp went by without incident. It was just after sunset when they were finally dismissed. They had the next four days off before reporting for normal duty on Monday. Harry quickly said a few goodbyes, then apparated to the Burrow.

**·****·**

Ginny finally heard the pop she had been waiting for. She rushed outside and watched Harry emerge out of the twilight.

"Is that an auror out there? Has a dangerous dark wizard escaped? Is that why you have come to our humble abode?"

"No, but there is a very dangerous and very powerful red headed witch in the area who needs to be watched very closely."

"How closely?"

Harry had reached Ginny. He pulled her into his arms and gave her a long, passionate kiss.

"That closely," he finally replied without releasing her.

"Well you can be sure of my complete cooperation Mr Auror, sir." To prove it she kissed him back just as passionately. After a few minutes Mrs Weasley's voice boomed from inside.

"Ginny, give the poor boy a chance to breathe and come inside. He must be starving." Harry picked up his bag and arm in arm with Ginny entered the Burrows. He was warmly greeted and congratulated on becoming an Auror. Molly gave him a big hug.

"We've already eaten, Harry, but there is plenty left if you're hungry."

"That'd be great Molly." He had eaten a little but he was still starved and was eager for some of Molly's cooking. He looked around the room wondering where Ron and Hermione were, and then remembered they were staying at the Grangers. Ginny noticed. "They are planning on popping around about 8:00. They should be here any moment." Harry nodded and then sat down at the dining table just as Molly placed a large bowl of steaming beef stew in front of him. He ate eagerly.

"Don't they feed you properly in the Aurors, mate," said Ron as he walked in with Hermione. "I might have to reconsider joining."

"It's not up to Burrow standards, Ron, but it does beat a steady diet of mushrooms." This earned him an affectionate punch, then a kiss from Hermione.

"So what's it like to be an Auror," she asked.

"I don't know. I don't really feel any different."

"How was camp," asked Ron.

"Hard work, we hardly ever got a break and we were at it day and night. Learnt a lot though and we didn't embarrass ourselves. It went a little sour after last Sunday." He told them how the arrest had gone wrong and Pavarti had been injured. Ginny turned pale realising it could just as easily have been Harry who had been injured.

"If this Savage guy isn't up to the mark, you need to do something about him, Harry," remarked Hermione with concern.

"He'll be OK, Hermione. We found out later that this was the first time he had been in charge of anything larger than a two man team. We're all doing things we're not really ready for. There just aren't enough experienced Aurors left."

"So how did you sleep, Harry?" asked Ron. Everyone knew what he was really asking.

"I was fine, Ron."

"That's good to hear, mate."

"So how have you all been going? Anything exciting happen?"

"Well, Ron has become very interested in reading Muggle history. I can hardly get him to put down the book." There was silence. Ron turned a little red.

"I'm sorry Hermione, I must have been hit with a confounding spell in training. I heard the words _Ron, history, reading, muggle _and_ book_ but they didn't make any sense at all." Ginny and George sniggered.

"I've been reading a book on Napoleon's military campaigns. It's really interesting."

Harry stared at his friend. "This is a muggle history book we're talking about?" he asked incredulously.

"Well Yeah."

"And you can follow it OK?"

"Well it has its moments. I got all excited the other day when I read that Wellington used Welsh dragons at Waterloo. I didn't think muggles knew about dragons let alone used them in battle. Well, Hermione wouldn't believe me so I showed her the book."

"It turned out to be dragoons, not dragons," laughed Hermione. "Dragoons are a type of light cavalry."

"So I'm picking up stuff about the muggle world which I guess isn't a bad thing. I just find the military tactics and strategy really interesting, a bit like chess."

Harry recalled how Ron had quickly come up with a battle plan at Fred's funeral and realised there was nothing strange about his friend's sudden passion for muggle history at all.

They talked together for another hour, and then Ron and Hermione returned to the Grangers. Harry was tired and decided to turn in as well. Ginny accompanied him to the door of his bedroom and after a good night kiss retired herself.

The next morning Harry woke early, still used to the early starts at the camp. He went downstairs to find Ginny and Molly already up. After a quick breakfast, he and Ginny headed out for the pond. Ginny was uncharacteristically quiet. "So, how was Cho?" she asked in a small voice once they had settled in their favourite spot.

"She was fine."

"She is in your team isn't she?" Ginny bit her lower lip.

"Ginny, there is nothing between me and Cho. There hasn't been for a long time and even then it didn't amount to much."

Ginny didn't say anything. She took a press clipping from her pocket and handed it to Harry. It was from the previous Sunday's _Prophet_. The headline read 'Wizarding world's most eligible bachelor teams up with old flame.' There was a photo of Harry and Cho in Auror's robes.

Harry was angry. "In a couple of years' time, when you're a famous Quidditch player there will be headlines like 'Quidditch star dumps Chosen One for Argentinian playboy.' And you'll be angry when I confront you with it. You'll accuse me of not trusting you."

"You're angry."

"Yes I'm angry. Have I ever given you any reason to doubt my love for you? Have any of these stories ever had a skerrick of truth in them? When it comes to Cho you're as bad as Ron with Victor Krum. It's crazy. Can you imagine Hermione ever dumping Ron for Victor?"

"Well no."

"And there is no way I'm dumping you for Cho, or anyone else for that matter. I love you, Ginny. I choose you and that isn't going to change."

Ginny was looking at Harry with big round eye's. There were tears in the corner. "OK," she said softly. "I'm sorry. Forgive me?"

"Come here." Harry pulled her into a big hug.

"I love you so much, Harry I get so scared of losing you. And I just don't mean to another woman. I was so upset when you told us what happened to Pavarti. It could so easily happen to you."

"You just can't think about that, Ginny. You just have to learn to put it out of your mind."

"Tell me when you've worked out how to do that!"

"I know, but we have to believe that we will always have a future. Besides, if Voldemort couldn't kill me, who else could?"

"I'd be even more worried if I thought you actually believed that."

That sat in silence for a while. "A Knut for your thoughts," Harry eventually said.

"I'm wondering when I'm going to meet this hot Argentinian playboy."

Harry grabbed her and started tickling her mercilessly. The wrestling match that ensued soon transformed into a very enjoyable snog. After a while they headed back inside.

"You know, it's your seventeenth birthday in less than a month. Would you like me to teach you apparition. Then you can get your licence on your birthday."

Ginny had plans for her birthday with a higher priority than getting a licence and Harry figured prominently in them, but she didn't say that. It did irk her considerably that everyone else in the family apparated all over the countryside at will while she was still dependent on others to side along her. She was thrilled at the idea of Harry teaching her.

They started lessons that afternoon. Harry was an excellent teacher and Ginny a very willing student. By the end of four days she had the knack and was popping all over the Burrow. She made a point several times a day to pop out just behind George to try and startle him. She knew she was tempting fate, pranking one of the great pranksters of the age, but he had earned it. Besides, if it moved George to respond with vigour, that was all to the good.

**·****·**

Thoughts of pranking were far from Oliver Grantham's mind as he looked over the guests seated in his study. It was nearly three weeks since these same people had floated the idea that Grantham run for Minister of Magic. Despite initially rejecting the idea as absurd, he was far too young, it had slowly taken root and now he could almost taste the prize.

"Have you thought any more about who should be our candidate for Minister of Magic," he asked.

"The names that keep on coming up are Dirgwood and Pringle," offered Paula Pestle of the Potioners Guild.

"You have to be joking," remarked Grantham. "Dirgwood is a moron and Pringle is one of the most corrupt people in the Wizengamot. We should be trying to expel them, not promote them. Surely some serious candidates have been suggested."

"Only one we can all agree on," said the merchant Mercuto Blake. "That's you Oliver."

"I still say I'm too young and inexperienced."

"Are you saying no, then Oliver?" asked healer Hypon Gallant.

"No, I just wish you could find someone else. I'm not ready for this."

"No one ever is," commented Paula Pestle. "It really has to be you Oliver. Will you do it?"

This was the moment of decision. His ambition warred with his better judgement.

"If I agree, I won't be anyone's puppet. I'll pursue the reform program I outlined when we last met and I will expect your support."

"Of course," they all agreed.

"Then I'm in." They all shook his hand and congratulated him.

"So," asked Oliver, "how are the negotiations between the Guilds and the Merchants going. Have you finalised your agreement?"

"We're almost there," advised Mercuto. "Bottom line is that we merchants have agreed to concede exclusive rights to potions and therapeutic products to the guilds in exchange for greater protection for local merchants against foreign competition. It's a win-win proposition as the muggles say."

"I'm not sure its win-win for the public," objected Grantham. "Surely this will increase prices."

"Perhaps," replied Hypon Gallant, "but they get a safer supply of health products and increased employment in local industries. The economy still has a long way to recover from the disruption caused by the Dark Lord. I think most will be better off from the arrangement."

Grantham was far from convinced, but he was enough of a realist to understand that an alliance between the Merchants and the Guilds was always going to have a price. He believed that the benefits of good government that the alliance enabled would far outweigh the negatives.

"There is another thing we want to discuss, Grantham," said Adam Mallot, another of the Merchantmen. "Most of us believe that Shacklebolt is going too far with his _Truth and Reconciliation Commission_. We agree we have to clean house, but too many little people are being sucked into the process. It is very disruptive. We need to be a little more flexible."

When all discussion was concluded and his guests had left, Grantham was feeling a little queasy. There were worrying signs that his new allies were tempted to slide back into the old ways of doing business and were willing to compromise on cleaning up the corruption and incompetence in government. He was coming to believe, though, that as Minister for Magic he would be able to keep them to the mark and provide good government. He was under no illusion it was going to be easy. Making this alliance work would be an enormous achievement.

**·****·**

Kingsley was in the office early. It was Friday, the last day of July and he wanted to get a large amount of work off his desk so he could enjoy a rare free weekend. It wasn't entirely free. He had to put in an appearance at a fundraiser for Oliver Grantham's muggle-born foundation. He didn't particularly like Grantham, but the cause was a good one and it would be churlish to snub it.

He was beginning to hear rumours that a move was afoot against him. Grantham seemed to be heavily involved. Well maybe he could pick up some hints at the fundraiser.

He smiled. They'd be doing him a great personal favour if they took his job. He could get his life back. All the same he was determined to finish the reforms he had started and would fight for his job with all he had.

He was surprised when Melanie Watts, his personal private secretary, arrived late. It was greatly out of character. Ironically, Melanie was Oliver Grantham's sister in law but Kingsley had no doubts about her loyalty to him or her integrity.

"Morning Minister, would you like to go through the Picot file now?"

"Melanie, we did that yesterday."

"Did we?"

"Are you OK Melanie? You look a little dazed."

"I am feeling a little peculiar. Did you say we had already done the Picot file?"

Kingsley was rapidly becoming alarmed. His auror's hackles were rising. As he examined her more closely he began to see the little tell-tale traces of Dark Magic. Wasting no time, he apparated with her directly to St Mungo's and used his authority to ensure she was examined immediately.

An attack on his personal secretary was an attack on him and, by extension, on his position. Cowardly too, he thought, his anger rising. This was a very serious matter. He needed to know what had been done to her. He would get answers as soon as possible. He would make certain of it. Then he would move with full force against those responsible.


	24. Loose Tongues

Chapter 24: Loose Tongues

"Ah, Miss Granger, good to see you again. I'm glad you could come." Grantham gave Hermione a warm handshake and a big smile.

Hermione smiled back. "Good evening, Mr Grantham."

"And this is Ronald Weasley, It is an honour to meet you sir." He shook Ron's hand with a firm grip. Ron was too surprised at the respectful greeting to do anything other than mumble.

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny had arrived at Gibson Hall in London for Grantham's fundraiser and were now negotiating the reception line.

Hermione introduced Harry and Ginny. Grantham greeted them warmly. "I really can't thank you enough for coming. I'm sorry I can't introduce you to my wife; she would have loved to meet you all. Unfortunately, she is not feeling well tonight."

"I'll hope she'll be alright," replied Hermione.

"Yes, she'll be fine. Slight dose of Pixie Pox. Occupational hazard, I'm afraid – she's a healer on the Magical Infections ward at St Mungo's. Now I believe you know Peter Lowry."

"Yes, we met in Sydney. How are you Hermione?

"Fine thanks, Mr Lowry."

"No doubt George Lonnergan introduced you as part of his campaign against the dark side," quipped Grantham.

"Actually it was his father, Kevin, but you're not wrong in principle," laughed Lowry. "Don't worry Oliver; you're only half on the dark side."

Grantham laughed then turned to meet the next group waiting on the line.

"So how come you're on the reception line, Mr Lowry?" asked Ron.

"Ah, that's all Hermione's fault."

"My fault?" said Hermione, raising her eyebrows in surprise.

"Oh yes. When you declined the position of Patron, Oliver roped me in. I'm a high profile muggle-born businessman with excellent connections to the people with money. Good qualifications for a Patron."

"You don't have any difficulties with taking on the position?" asked Hermione more accusingly than she intended.

"We're holding up the reception line, Hermione. We'll talk later, OK." Lowry turned away from Hermione and greeted Harry and Ginny.

Gibson Hall, in the centre of London, had had a wizarding connection ever since the Greengrass family's failed attempt to break Gringotts' banking monopoly back in the 1870's. Unbeknown to its many muggle customers, it was owned by a consortium of wealthy wizarding families. It was frequently used by the magical community for receptions, weddings and other events. On such occasions all the front of house staff were witches or wizards and no unwanted muggle eyes were able to witness the goings on. There was even a space where arriving guests could safely apparate. Ron and Hermione had been back living at the Burrow for a week now and all four had apparated directly from there.

The Main Hall, where they were dining tonight, was a splendid Victorian era room. It was flanked by Corinthian marble columns capped with gold. A high vaulted ceiling contained three large domes glazed with an intricate black and white pattern and each containing a magnificent chandelier. The decoration had the richness of an Italian renaissance palace but with more restraint. The room had a visual harmony and was a delight to the eye.

Hermione, Ron, Harry and Ginny were first to arrive at their table. They sat down and scanned the room. It was like a who's who of the wizarding world. There were members of the Wizengamot, leading artists and sports people and doyens of many of the leading families. They spotted Daphne Greengrass with her parents and also the McMillans. Ernie, thankfully, appeared to be fully recovered and walking normally.

"Look, there's old Celestina Warbeck. I should get her autograph for Mum," said Ron.

"Get one for Fleur, too," sniggered Ginny.

Their laughter was interrupted as they were joined by Horace Slughorn who was accompanied by Gwenog Jones, the captain of the Hollyhead Harpies, and her partner, Jordan.

Ginny froze rigid when they were joined by Jones whose poster still adorned Ginny's bedroom. She barely made it through the introductions without embarrassing herself. She was saved from tongue paralysis by the arrival of Ambrosius Flume and his wife who together ran _Honeydukes Sweetshop_ in Hogsmeade. Reminisces about Hogsmeade visits and happy times in _Honeydukes_ eased the conversation.

"This is just like a reunion of the Slug Club," said Horace, very pleased with himself. "I believe everyone here was a member, ah …except you Mr Weasley – Reginald isn't it?"

"Ron."

"Of course, of course. You know Ron is lucky to be alive. If it wasn't for the quick thinking of my prize student Harry here, he would have died of poisoning right in front of our eyes. I always keep a bezoar on me after that incident, Harry my boy."

"Well Ron has returned the favour and saved my life a couple of times," responded Harry

"Of course he has," replied Slughorn dismissively, as if it was of no importance.

"I understand you're a star seeker, Harry," said Gwenog Jones. She was a statuesque black woman with a powerful build.

"I can hold my own. It's Ginny here who is the real star. She's a fantastic chaser."

Gwenog Jones gave Ginny an appraising look. "You're Charlie Weasley's sister, aren't you? I played against him a few times. He was a brilliant player."

"Ginny's better. I've seen them play head to head a number of times," Harry replied. Jones raised her eyebrows.

"Ginny is going to be captain of the Gryffindor team this year," informed Slughorn.

"I am?" asked a wide eyed Ginny.

"Oh Dear, it seems I've let the cat out of the bag. Please don't tell Minerva. She'd be very angry at me if she knew." Horace managed to look just a little sheepish.

"Have you ever considered playing professionally, Ginny?" asked Jones.

"I don't know if I'm good enough."

"Well, I'll tell our scouts to keep an eye out for you. Unlike Horace, though, I won't let the cat out of the bag and tell you when they're coming." Gwenog winked at Horace and gave Ginny a big smile.

Conversation was interrupted as the starter arrived, a crab and celeriac salad with avocado mousse. Horace surveyed the dish with great delight and ate with relish. Ron and Ginny were more dubious and approached the dish with the caution of a potioner milking a spider of its poison.

Just as they had finished their starter, Grantham approached their table.

"I'm sorry to drag you away, Hermione, but there are some people I would like you to talk to if you don't mind."

"Of course, Oliver." Hermione stood and followed Oliver. Ron watched them go with great annoyance. When Oliver put his hand on Hermione's bare shoulder to help guide her through the hall, Ron was shocked. He expected Hermione to shrug it off but she didn't. She happily let Oliver guide her along. Ron watched them leave the room, none too pleased.

It didn't help when Horace commented jokingly "it looks like you have competition Mr Weasley."

Sensing his friend was about to explode Harry tried to defuse the tension. "Only if Grantham's got the world's strongest love potion," he laughed. Only Ginny joined him.

"Well they say power is a very strong love potion," continued Horace unaware of the effect his words were having on Ron.

"Grantham's just an ordinary Wizengamot member," spat out Ron. "So is our friend Neville, there is nothing especially powerful about that."

"Oh I don't think there is much that is ordinary about Oliver. In any case I hear rumours that he will soon hold a more exalted position."

"You need to be more discreet, Horace," warned Ambrosius Flume sharply. He looked annoyed.

"Yes, yes, forget I said that. In any case Mr Weasley I wouldn't worry. I am only teasing. Oliver has a charming wife to whom he is devoted."

"Who just somehow couldn't make it tonight," Ron mumbled to himself.

Conversation switched to other, safer topics but Ron barely participated. By the time the main course arrived, Hermione still hadn't returned and Ron was seething.

Hermione, at that moment, was deep in conversation with the sole other occupant of a small, private lounge room. When Grantham had ushered Hermione into the room Peter Lowry was already there. He stood up to greet her again.

"I'll just leave you two alone to have a little chat," said Grantham. He left the room, leaving a surprised Hermione in his wake.

"Sit down Hermione, you wanted to know if I have any issues with taking on the position of Patron of Grantham's foundation."

"Yes."

"Well the answer is no."

"You know I turned down the position of Patron because of my affiliation with PLEJ and a potential conflict of interest."

"Yes, I believe you did the right thing," said Lowry firmly.

Hermione looked a little puzzled. "I understood your political sympathies were very much in line with PLEJ and that you were actively trying to advance them. That's what you said in Australia. Oliver directly opposes much of that. I don't see how you don't have a problem."

"You agreed to give a speech tonight, Hermione. Tell me why."

Hermione was taken aback. She had been unable to share her real reason with Ron and that troubled her. Now she realised she was going to tell this man, who was for all intents and purposes, a stranger, but perhaps that made it easier. He was also, like her, muggle born.

"'_Mudblood and proud of it.' _That's what I said shortly after the darkest moment in my life. I had been tortured and nearly killed because of it. My parents were vulnerable because of it. I had to use magic against their will to force them to go into exile because of it. I have paid a heavy price for being a mudblood. But I am lucky. I was able to fight back. Better, I was able to win and my parents did stay safe. I've had the personal help of the Minister of Magic in two countries to help restore my parents to their old life. How could I not do something as small as giving a speech if it helped other muggle born whose lives are still shattered?"

Hermione had spoken with growing firmness and passion. When she had finished she looked searchingly into Lowy's face trying to gauge his reaction. What she saw was compassion and understanding, but there was something else. Was it pride, pride in her? Whatever it was, it didn't stop him pressing Hermione further.

"But you are reluctant to be more closely associated with the foundation, and in particular with Oliver Grantham."

Hermione simply nodded.

Lowry sat forward in his seat. "Let me tell you why I agreed to be Patron. Firstly it's not Oliver's foundation, it's the Muggle Born Repatriation Foundation. Oliver is founder and Chairman of the Board, but he doesn't control it or own it. It's run by the board on which Oliver only has one vote. Secondly it is not there to promote or support Oliver's political goals or anyone else's. It is there to do exactly what the name says. Otherwise I wouldn't be involved. Just as importantly, you can deduce that that is how Oliver wants it too. He would not have set it up the way he did if he wanted to use it for political purposes."

"Unlike you, Hermione, I had an easy war. I spent most of it out of the country. My connections helped to protect my interests here. Too many important people had money tied up in the success of my ventures. It made moving against me very hard. The fact that I had it easy makes me very keen, now, to help those who didn't."

"I'll say one last thing, Hermione. If you only ever work with people who are in complete accord with your views and goals, you will accomplish very little in life."

Hermione spent some time taking this in. "Given what you say, why do you think I did the right thing turning down the position of Patron?"

"My political views are well known but it is not the same thing as being the founder and vice president of a political party, a party very much opposed to Oliver's Traditionalist faction. If you had taken on the role, that would have been the story, the political conflict, not the foundation. It would have defeated the purpose of being a Patron in the first place which is to promote the work of the foundation."

"I can see your point," replied Hermione.

"Good."

"You and Oliver didn't bring me in here just so you could explain your choices. Why are we having this conversation?"

"Ah, excellent question, Hermione. When Oliver invited you to be patron, he offered you another position as well."

"A position on the board."

"Yes, Oliver, indeed the whole board including me, is of the opinion that you would be a valuable addition to our team. We would like, once again, to extend an invitation for you to join."

Hermione had sensed the offer coming, but was still surprised to hear it out loud. "Wouldn't that cause the same problems you've been describing?"

"You tell me."

Hermione looked at Peter quizzically. She thought for a while before answering. "The job of a board member is to run the organisation, not promote it. It's not a high profile position. Also each board member is independent of the other. Conflicting views are not necessarily a problem therefore, but a potential source of strength."

"Well said. Please think about it. There is one more thing I should tell you if you don't already know about it. I don't want you to agree to our proposition only to find you wish to withdraw again"

"You have me intrigued."

"I am hearing a lot of scuttlebutt about a move against Kingsley Shacklebolt. I really don't have any more than that except that it is clear that Grantham is right in the thick of it."

Hermione was in shock. "It would be a disaster if Kingsley lost his position."

"I agree. Now I think we should get back inside before your boyfriend gets jealous. Please come and see me anytime if you want to talk more on any of this." He had referred to Ron in jest but Hermione was certain that Ron wouldn't have been happy to see her walk off with Grantham. He didn't like him on principle and was against coming in the first place. He was unlikely to be in favour of her taking up this board position.

When she got back to the table she realised things were worse than she thought. She could feel the anger radiating off Ron. He refused to acknowledge her. Worse, he had barely touched his dinner, a sure sign of a raging inner turmoil. She hardly touched her own meal when it arrived.

After the main course it was time for speeches. Peter Lowry was up first, and then it would be Hermione's turn. She was dreading it. She could hardly concentrate. Fortunately she already had the speech off pat. They were applauding Peter's speech now and she had to get up.

She grabbed Ron by the shoulders and pleaded, "I need you to wish me good luck."

Ron looked into her eyes. Somehow he found the ability to reach through his anger and give her what she needed. "Good luck, Hermione, you'll be fine." It was enough.

Hermione's speech went over well, though later she could barely remember giving it.

After dessert the dancing started. Hermione stood up and stretched out her arms to Ron. "Dance with me." Ron's anger had been ebbing steadily since Hermione's speech and he was beginning to feel a little embarrassed by his reactions. He took Hermione's hands in his and walked with her to the dance floor. Harry and Ginny soon followed.

Ron was beginning to enjoy himself. He loved dancing with Hermione and it was reassuring to have his arms around her again and feel her arms around him. He was just about to twirl her once more when he felt a tap on his shoulder. There stood Grantham. "Do you mind if I cut in?"

Ron said nothing. He stood there, as rigid as stone. He watched as Oliver twirled her away, as he put his hands on her bare skin, as she smiled and laughed at his joke.

Ron turned, walked slowly out of the hall and apparated to the Burrow.

When Harry, Ginny and Hermione returned to the Burrow, they found Ron sitting at the table in the dining room, nursing a cup of tea.

Harry looked from Ron to Hermione and back again. He desperately didn't want to be there but he thought he should try and defuse the situation. "If I go to bed do you two promise not to kill one another?"

"Go to bed Harry, you too Ginny." For once, Ginny did what her brother commanded.

Harry saw the cold anger in his friend's eye and hesitated. He looked at Hermione who simply nodded. Harry left.

"You have no right to be angry at me, Ron."

"Don't I?"

"I didn't do anything wrong."

"Didn't you, so why do you think I'm angry then?"

"You tell me."

"Why don't you tell me what you were doing all that time then, that is when you weren't letting him put his hands all over you?"

"That's ridiculous Ron, we were dancing. It would have been rude to refuse to dance with him."

"And were you dancing when you walked out of the Hall with his hands all over you?"

Hermione flushed. "He was just being a gentleman, Ron, something you wouldn't understand."

"You certainly seemed to be enjoying it." Hermione flushed even deeper, which didn't go unnoticed by Ron.

"Now you're being absurd, he's old enough to be my father."

"Barely, and he is not you're your father, Hermione."

"And he has a wife."

"Who conveniently wasn't there."

"I'm going to bed, Ron. I don't have to put up with this nonsense. This is all in your head. There's nothing there. I love you, though at the moment I can't remember why. I am not interested in anyone else. Goodnight."

"So what did Olivah want to talk about?"

"I'll tell you in the morning."

"Tell me now."

"I didn't talk with Oliver. I had a talk with Peter Lowry. They want me to join the board of the foundation."

"And let me guess – you said yes."

"No Ron I didn't"

"Good, so you turned him down."

"I didn't say that Ron, I haven't decided."

"You can't possibly be thinking of agreeing to this!"

"A second ago you were convinced I said yes, now you're convinced I'd never consider it. Make up your mind Ron, or does thinking hurt too much."

Ron flinched from Hermione's dripping disdain. "Grantham is your enemy, Hermione, but, just because he's got a degree from Oxford and this powerful man is flattering you with his attention, you've gone all weak in the knees. It's _your_ mind that's gone to mush if you're considering this."

Hermione's eyes narrowed and her nostrils flared. "Did you even stop to think how insulting that was before you said it, Ron. Has it never occurred to you that as a muggle born I might just want to help other muggle born to rebuild their lives? Or maybe from the lofty heights of being a pure blood that seems unimportant."

Ron reeled as if he had been physically struck. He replied with cold anger. "Don't you ever, ever say that to me again!"

"Why not, you are more than willing to accuse me of lusting after all sorts of other men," she replied witheringly, giving him a hurt, accusing glare.

"I did not. I just don't want you to make a fool of yourself, working with a man who is only going to use you. A man who is your enemy, you keep on forgetting."

"Oh how noble. You're just lying to yourself."

"Who's lying to themselves? There are plenty of ways you can help other muggle born. Merlin, Hermione, you effectively started a political party to do just that. Don't you think you should concentrate on that rather than consorting with PLEJ's sworn enemy?"

"I can do both, and that's exactly what I'm going to do whether you like it or not."

"I forbid it. I absolutely forbid it."

Hermione stared at Ron in shock. In a quiet, measured tone she asked "What did you say?"

"I said I forbid it. You're not working with Grantham, Hermione."

Hermione was white with fury. She turned and walked out of the Burrow kitchen and into the night. A few seconds later Ron heard the pop of disapparition. Ron walked outside he was still angry, but he was beginning to feel sick in the stomach.

"_She'll be back soon_," he thought. He waited in the dark for an hour. Then he went to bed and spent a sleepless night going over their argument again and again.

The next morning Ron got up early, but when he went down for breakfast Molly, Ginny and Harry were already there. Harry looked at him questioningly, but it was Ginny that spoke.

"Where's Hermione?"

Ron turned red but didn't reply.

"She's gone hasn't she? You're a prat Ron. You had no reason to be angry with her last night. What did you say?"

"She's decided to join the board of Grantham's foundation."

"Is that what you two were shouting about last night? I bet they heard you in Ottery St Catchpole. You're a complete arse, Ron."

"Ginny!" exclaimed Molly. Neither Ron nor Harry said anything though both looked miserable.

Ron went outside and stared at the back fence. He hadn't eaten anything. After a while Harry joined him. "You should go after her, mate."

"She'll come back."

"If you say so." Harry clearly didn't believe it.

Ron waited outside for hours waiting for someone to pop into view. Eventually someone did, but it wasn't Hermione. It was Bill and Fleur come for Sunday lunch. They were shortly followed by the unexpected arrival of Kingsley. Molly promptly invited him to stay for lunch and Kingsley just as promptly accepted.

Molly insisted that Ron join them for lunch. After some general conversation, which Ron ignored, Kingsley cleared his throat. "There are a couple of things I need to tell you." He looked around the table and seemed to notice for the first time that Hermione wasn't there.

"Where's Hermione?"

"She and lover boy here had a spat," said Ginny.

Ron glared at her, but then added angrily, "she's decided to join the board of Grantham's foundation."

Kingsley frowned. "That's unfortunate given the circumstances. Still, it's a good cause and I can see how it would attract her."

"Why unfortunate?" asked Arthur.

"Well, Grantham's involved to some degree with both the items I wanted to discuss. These are things I wanted to tell you both as friends but also as the leaders of PLEJ."

"I am receiving a lot of reports that a move is being made against my position. Best bet is that a vote of no confidence will be brought on before the end of the month. From what I can gather, Grantham is heavily involved in this scheme." There was dismay around the table.

"Do you have any idea who they propose putting in your place?" asked Bill.

"None whatsoever. It's hard to see who they could choose who would be generally acceptable to all factions."

"I bet it's Grantham," spat out Ron putting two and two together and getting the answer he wanted. "Horace Slughorn let slip last night that Grantham would soon hold a far more exalted position. Ambrosius Flume was angry, told Slughorn to shut up."

"Interesting," said Kingsley rubbing his chin, "Flume is very well connected in the Merchants Guild. All the same it's hard to believe they'd put Grantham up. He's far too young, and for the people behind this plot, possibly too honest."

"Whoever it is, know you have PLEJ's full support," said Arthur. "We'll hold a committee meeting this week to organise. We'll let you know whatever we learn. Please keep us informed as well."

"Of course, Arthur, and thank you for the support. The other issue is potentially very serious. Last Thursday night my private secretary, Melanie Watts, was kidnapped." There were gasps around the table. Molly looked horrified. "She was released unharmed the next morning, but she was interrogated all night using a combination of veritaserum and some dark magic. She has no recollection of who took her or what she was asked. The healers at St Mungo's are working with her to recover whatever they can. Apart from feeling violated, Melanie is fine but the security breach is potentially catastrophic. There isn't much about my administration she doesn't know."

"You have to assume the worst," said Percy glumly. "You have to assume that your worst enemy now knows the one thing you would least like him to know."

"That's comforting, thanks Percy."

"You said there was a connection to Grantham. You don't think he was involved, do you?" asked Harry.

"It'd be out of character. The thing is, though, Melanie is Grantham's sister in law. She has told me he has tried to pump her for information on a number of occasions. It's possible there is a tie in with the plot against me."

"What's your best bet on what they're after?" asked Arthur.

"It could have been a general fishing expedition for damaging information or they may have wanted advance knowledge on the _War Investigations Commission's_ interim report which will be published tomorrow. We've had an advanced copy for a week and Melanie has read it."

Over the last several months everyone at the table had given evidence in front of the Commission. Harry, Ron and Hermione had had multiple sessions.

"Why would anyone go to that trouble just to get the report a week in advance?" asked Harry.

"The report is dynamite. It recommends a lot of prosecutions. A lot of people who thought they were getting away with a rap over the knuckles are in for a rude shock. There are also secret annexures that won't be published. Our copy included them. I might add, I will get a lot of political flak however I respond to the report. They couldn't have chosen a better time to bring on a no confidence motion."

After Kingsley had left Ron went up to his room. He was determined that Hermione should come to him, not the other way around. He had been sitting on his bed brooding for an hour when Ginny walked in.

"What do you want?" he said curtly. Ginny ignored him. She walked over to the cupboard and started taking out Hermione's clothes. Panic gripped him.

"What are you doing?"

She looked at him with none of the rancour of this morning. In fact she looked upset. She said quietly, "Hermione has sent me an owl asking me to bring over her clothes. She doesn't want to see you. She was adamant about that."

Ginny finished collecting the clothes and left the room without saying an additional word. She closed the door quietly behind her.

Ron collapsed back into his bed. He felt as if his life force was draining away – which in some ways it was.


	25. It Has to Come from Within

Chapter 25: It Has to Come from Within

He had been waiting half an hour. Was it still too early? He didn't want to antagonise Hermione's parents. It was now 7:00 am and Ron didn't care anymore. He rang the Grangers' doorbell.

It was a while before anyone answered. For Ron, his heart thumping, his stomach in a knot and palms sweaty it seemed like an eternity. Finally the door opened to reveal Jean Granger in her dressing gown. There was no animosity in her expression, no anger. If anything there was sympathy with a small overtone of amusement.

"My, we are early Ron."

"Good morning Mrs Granger. Can I speak to Hermione?"

"I'll ask her, Ron, but I don't think she wants to speak to you. It's still '_Jean' _by the way. Please wait here." Jean closed the door gently. It was ten minutes before she returned.

"I'm sorry, Ron, she doesn't want to see you."

"I'll wait then," said Ron.

"I don't think it's going to help, Ron. She is adamant she won't see you."

"I'll wait anyway," replied Ron. Jean simply nodded and returned inside. Five minutes later she returned with a cup of tea and some biscuits.

"Here Ron, you may as well have these." Jean left Ron to his vigil on the Grangers' front porch.

**·****·**

A little later that morning, seven witches and wizards were gathered in a wood panelled meeting room near the main Wizengamot assembly chamber. They sat in high leather chairs around a dark wooden table. Each had a thick report in front of them.

It was the job of the _Wizengamot Honours and Awards_ _committee_ to approve or reject awards recommended by the Minister of Magic or by a number of other bodies. The committee hadn't met for eighteen months and, for its newest and youngest member Oliver Grantham, this was his first meeting.

In addition to a number of prosecutions, the _War Investigations Commission's_ interim report had, in a secret annexure, recommended a large number of awards to people who had made important contributions during the recent war. The Minister of Magic had forwarded them on with his full support.

"It looks like we have our work cut out for us," grinned the Chair of the committee, a grizzled old witch with amusement in her green eyes. She was wearing comfortable looking, if still elegant, plum robes.

"It's pretty straight forward, I would have thought," said a tall wizard with a dark beard. "These awards are well deserved. We should have little problem approving them."

"You'd have to be joking, Barnabus," scoffed a short dumpy witch. "The number of awards alone is unprecedented and the political ramification of some…"

"It is not our job to consider the political ramifications of these awards," inserted the Chair. This gave rise to chuckles and a sarcastic chorus of "Yeah, right."

"Ok," said the Chair, "I suggest that we quickly go through the list and mark off those that don't pose a problem for anyone. Then we can concentrate on the others."

It soon became clear that the biggest stumbling block was the award of the Order of Merlin, First Class to three teenagers.

"It's absurd. The First Class Merlin is our highest honour. It is specifically reserved to those who have made extraordinary contributions to society over a lifetime. How could you award it to a bunch of teenagers whose life has barely begun?" asked short dumpy, witch.

"I'm sure you would have had far less a problem, Esalda, if the Merlin First Class didn't come with automatic membership of the Wizengamot or if the three teenagers in question were on your side of politics," replied the tall wizard with a dark beard.

"Rubbish, they're just too young. But as you mention it, giving life time membership of the Wizengamot to three teenagers does seem bizarre."

"Alright, let's do this systematically. I want to hear from each of you whether you believe their contribution is significant enough to merit an award of this magnitude. Then we'll discuss whether it qualifies as a _lifetime_ contribution," said the Chair.

Almost every speaker was happy to heap praise on the three youngsters, with some concluding, though, that the contribution didn't quite get to the level required. Perhaps a second class Merlin would be more appropriate. The most negative was Esalda, the short dumpy, witch.

"There is a lot we haven't been told about these three. For example, I am told on good authority that Weasley abandoned his friends at the most dangerous part of their mission almost getting them killed." Esalda looked at each of her colleagues in turn. There was spittle on her lips. "Not as heroic as we are led to believe, eh. What else don't we know? We may well find ourselves a laughing stock if we give this award now only to find out most of what we have been told is a lie."

Grantham, as the most junior member of the committee was last to speak. He was compelling.

"I'm sorry, Esalda, but I don't put a lot of stock in unsubstantiated rumours. I deal in facts and the relevant facts are these. Voldemort is dead and it was Harry Potter who destroyed him. I was there. I saw it with my own eyes. Potter insists his two colleagues were indispensable to the task of destroying Voldemort. I have heard him say it with these ears and I have no reason to doubt him. The question, then, is does the destruction of the Dark Lord meet the standard of an outstanding contribution to our society. I have to answer emphatically in the affirmative. I believe Voldemort was a threat to the very existence of our society."

"Oh come now Grantham, don't be dramatic. You go too far," objected the tall wizard who favoured the award.

"Do I now?" replied Grantham. "Any of you who had travelled abroad recently would have been aware Wizarding society in North America and elsewhere was preparing for war against us should Voldemort grow stronger and expand into Europe. That is the least of it." Eyebrows raised around the room.

Grantham continued. "Voldemort also planned to enslave the Muggles. In our arrogance we assume this would be easy. So few remember the background to _The International Statute of Wizarding Secrecy_ in the seventeenth century. We were losing to the Muggles then, so we withdrew behind a veil of secrecy. If we were losing when all they had was pitchforks and muskets, how do you think we would fare now when they have machine guns, H bombs and computers? We might have won, but at a price unimaginably high. Do I think these three teenagers have made a sufficient contribution? I believe they have made as great a contribution as any other wizard alive." Grantham sat down to stunned silence. He wasn't sure if they were stunned by what he had said or because he was the one who said it.

The Chair cleared her throat. "Now we need to discuss whether the contribution of these three young teenagers meets the standard of a _lifetime_ contribution."

Those opposing the award were on strong grounds here. They attacked the proposition with high mockery and withering logic. Those in favour mumbled incoherent responses. Once again it was Grantham whose argument was decisive.

"You are all arguing the wrong point here. The law is quite specific. It defines 'a lifetime contribution' as one made over a period of 5 years or more. The information put before us in support of this award is that these three people first came together and defeated the Dark Lord at the age of eleven. This is extraordinary but is well vouched for. They have been fighting the Dark Lord, to great effect I might add, for seven years. They qualify with two years to spare." With half the heads in the room nodding and the other half shaking in disbelief, Grantham resumed his seat.

"OK," summed up the Chair, "I count four in favour of the award and three against. I hereby decl-"

Grantham jumped to his feet. "Madame Chair, I did not say I approve of this award."

The witch in the Chair looked confused, "But after what you have said…"

"Madame Chair, I agree that the three individuals qualify for the award. That doesn't mean I believe we should award it. There are many other factors to consider."

"Please go on, Grantham, I just have to hear this," replied the Chair.

"Unlike you I am not so sanguine about handing lifetime Wizengamot membership to people so young. Their characters are still in formation. What will they be like in 10, 20 or even 30 years from now? Also, I am concerned about the impact on the three individuals of receiving society's highest award so young. We would not necessarily be doing them a favour. It is possible that we could be doing them a disservice. That would be poor recompense for what they have done."

"So now you are opposed to these awards, Grantham?" asked the Chair.

"I haven't decided. This issue requires further consideration and I would like time to do so."

"Alright, we will finalise this matter at our next meeting. We stand adjourned."

**·****·**

"Hermione, dear, is it OK if I come in?" Hermione had barely talked since she had turned up late on Saturday night. Jean had the sense to mainly let her be.

"Come in Mum." Hermione was still in her pyjamas. She was sitting up in bed with a book on her lap but Jean thought it unlikely she had actually read a word. Her face was blotchy and her cheeks tears stained. She looked utterly miserable.

"He's still outside, waiting on the front porch. He's been there for two hours now." Jean informed her daughter.

"I don't want to see him, Mum."

Jean sat down on the bed, facing Hermione. "That's alright, Hermione, you don't have to," Jean reassured her. "Do you want to talk about it?"

"We had a bad fight."

"Do you want to tell me what it was about?" asked Jean.

"He gets so jealous, Mum. It's irrational. He doesn't trust me. He gets aggressive. He said some awful things."

"He didn't hit you did he?" asked Jean suddenly apprehensive.

"Oh God no, Mum. He would die before doing that, No, never." Hermione looked genuinely shocked at the suggestion and Jean was relieved.

"So why was he jealous, did he have reason?" Jean asked. Hermione explained about the foundation and Grantham and the invitation to join the board.

"There's absolutely nothing there, Mum," Hermione concluded.

"Is it usual to invite 18 year old girls onto boards in the wizarding world, Hermione?"

"Not really."

"And would you say this Oliver is good looking,"

"I guess, I haven't really thought about it. He looks like the actor in that old movie we saw a week or so ago –North by North West I think it was called."

"Cary Grant! Oliver looks like Cary Grant?" asked Jean her eyebrows raised.

"Yeah," replied Hermione, "Only a lot younger of course."

"Have you ever given Ron any reason to think you're interested in Oliver?"

"Of course not. … though I suppose I did rave on about him for about an hour after I had first met him….OK Mum, I know what you're thinking."

"I seriously doubt it."

"Mum, I love Ron so much. I don't care about anyone else. Why can't he just see that? Why can't he trust that?"

"I'm guessing you know the answer to those questions."

"He doesn't trust my love because he doesn't think he deserves it. I think he fears I'm going wake up to myself some day and realise he's a nobody and then move on. He isn't a nobody, far from it, and that isn't going to happen."

"So, how do you think he might react when a mature, intelligent, sophisticated, powerful and wealthy man, with the looks of Cary Grant pays inordinate attention to you?"

"Mum, I know where he is coming from. I'm just not sure I can live with it. I don't know what to do. I have tried to bolster his self-confidence time and time again. I have reassured him of my love. It doesn't stick. I am who I am. I will always be working near the top of any area I am in. That means I'll always be working with powerful men. If Ron can't deal with it, it just isn't going to work. He gets hurtful and controlling and then I get nasty and hurtful in return. I hate it."

"Well, you obviously have a lot to work through. Eventually you're going to have to do it with Ron. Don't give up on him." Jean gave her daughter a reassuring smile.

"I'm not giving up on Ron. I'm not giving on our relationship. I made a vow to Ron on that and I intend to keep it. I want to keep it more than anything else in the world. I just have to work out what to do."

"Just remember, all the answer isn't going to come from here." Jean pointed to Hermione's head. She then touched her daughter's chest. "Most of it has to come from here."

"Is Ron really still downstairs?"

Jean nodded.

"He must really be hurting." Tears formed in the corner of her eyes. Jean brushed them away with her fingers.

"It does a boy's soul good to suffer a little for love. Besides it gives them the motivation to work through their emotions. They find it far harder than we do and it takes them a lot longer."

"I'm not ready to talk to him. Maybe in a day or two."

"I know. Your father will be home at lunch time. If Ron is still here I'll get Robert to talk to him. He'll be gentle, don't worry."

At lunch time Robert arrived home and drove straight into the garage. Ten minutes later he emerged from the front door.

"Hi Ron, mind if I join you?"

"Not at all Mr Granger," he replied with some nervousness.

Robert sat down next to Ron. He remained silent for a few minutes, and then he said, "She's not coming out, you know."

"I know, but if I stay here at least Hermione will know I'm not giving up on her, on us," replied Ron.

Robert looked at him with sincere concern and also respect. "She's not giving up on you either, Ron." Relief flooded Ron's face. He looked close to tears.

"I wouldn't get too cocky son, she has a lot to work through. You hurt her badly you know."

"I know."

"I should really beat up on you for that. It's part of my job."

"You're too late. I've been doing it to myself for the last day and a half."

"Good."

They sat in silence for a while.

"I don't want to sound cruel, Ron. But I'm sort of glad you two are going through this."

Ron looked at Robert curiously, not sure what to make of this statement.

Robert expanded. "When you first told us of this lifebond thing I was worried. Sometimes it takes painful conflict in a relationship to give you the energy, willingness and insight to take it to the next level. This is especially so in a young relationship. I thought you might miss out on that."

"I hope you don't mind if I am not as overjoyed as you at the moment," said Ron with a painful smile.

Robert chuckled. "Go home, Ron. Think things through. Come back in two days. I'm sure she'll talk to you then and you can start to put things right." Robert stood up; he gave Ron a reassuring pat on the back and went back inside.

Ron left five minutes later.

**·****·**

The next evening Harry was seated at the dining table watching George tease Ron, who had just informed George he was taking the morning off to see Hermione.

"You can't do that Ron! The store would collapse without you. Of course I could just buy a sack of potatoes and put that behind the counter. We might not notice the difference. The customers might even get better service. At least the sack wouldn't be rude to them."

"I'm not that bad," protested Ron.

"No of course not, Verity was just being vindictive when she put up a sign in the store window saying '_Warning – staff member pining for ex-girlfriend. Enter at own risk'_"

"Don't blame Verity, George. I saw you put that sign up, you great git. I think the guy who snapped a photo of it and me was a journalist. That's really going to upset Hermione if she sees that in the paper," responded Ron.

"Oh isn't that sweet," continued George, "Hermione dumps him and all he cares about is her feelings."

"She hasn't dumped me!" shouted Ron, getting angry at George's taunts.

Just then there was a faint pop. Ron rushed outside, only to return a few moments later, looking disappointed. He was accompanied by Neville who was still wearing his auror's robes.

Ginny gave him a wolf whistle, and then got up and gave him a kiss. "You look very dashing, Neville. I bet Luna would be impressed."

"Uh thanks Ginny, though to tell you the truth I can't think of anyone in the world less likely to be impressed by a uniform than Luna."

Ginny laughed along with Harry. "You're probably right," she replied.

"Hi Neville," said Harry, "what brings you here?"

"I was hoping to have a word in private, Harry"

"Do you mind if I tag along?" asked Ginny.

Neville regarded her for a moment, and then shrugged. "That's up to Harry, I guess," he replied.

Harry nodded at Ginny, "Let's go outside," he said.

Twilight was giving way to a delightful summer evening. Harry transformed an old log into a comfortable wooden bench and they sat down overlooking the garden.

"So what's on your mind, Neville?" asked Harry.

"Savage, for starters, he's not up to the job."

Although nominally operational, the new recruits were still organised into two training units both reporting to Savage with Cherry McGruder as second in command. Neville had been appointed team leader of unit A, which was the same as the old red team. Grollo had unit B. They had been involved in a number of routine tasks such as surveillance and providing some investigative shoe leather. They were still spending a large proportion of their time in training. The plan was for the training units to be dissolved in three months' time and the recruits absorbed into the regular structure.

"We've sort of had this conversation before, Neville. There's not much we can do about it. All the more competent Aurors are flat out on other assignments. Savage is learning," said Harry.

"Yeah, well one of us might get killed before he learns enough," Neville responded.

Ginny gasped. "Is he really that bad?" she asked looking concerned.

Harry glared at Neville, and then he tried to look reassuringly at Ginny. He couldn't bring himself to lie to her, to deny what Neville was saying.

"We've been through this before Neville," said Harry edgily, "What are you really trying to say."

"That the time may come when we have to do something." Neville looked into Harry's eyes, trying to see how he was reacting. When Harry didn't respond Neville continued."

"It worries me, Harry that you're choosing not to step up. I'm not sure I understand it."

It was Ginny's turn to glare at Neville. "Harry has good reasons for doing what he is doing!"

"Do you want to share them with me? It would help," replied Neville.

Harry looked at Neville pleadingly, asking to be spared this explanation but then he simply nodded to Ginny and lowered his head.

"Harry's been having nightmares and far worse. He had a breakdown. He was constantly reliving the horrors he'd been through, even in broad daylight. Signing on to the aurors brought it on, especially the prospect that he would once again be responsible for people dying."

Neville looked horrified. He looked from Harry to Ginny and back again. "Why didn't you say something, Harry. We would have understood."

"It's not the sort of thing you talk about and I didn't want to appear weak," replied Harry softly.

"Weak? Harry, you are the strongest person I know, and that says something because I also know Ginny Weasley, Hermione Granger, Ron Weasley and Luna Lovegood." Neville had spoken with all the earnestness at his command. He softened his voice and continued. "A lot of us are having nightmares, Harry, and we only went through a tenth of what you did. I still wake up from time to time, dripping with sweat and with the image of Rothena Green's broken, beaten body in front of my eyes. Sometimes it's Ginny here or Luna as they looked after they were beaten up by Pansy's mob. Thank Merlin it's not so often, now the war is over."

Neville paused. When no one said anything he asked "Are you getting treatment, Harry?"

Ginny described Harry's work with Healer Stephen Keyworth.

"Good," said Neville. "To be blunt Harry, if you're not prepared to lead at some point there isn't much point you being in the Aurors."

Harry snorted. "No one would follow me at the moment. They think I've lost it. I can see the disgust in their eyes."

"They're just confused is all," responded Neville. "They don't understand. I'll sort that out. They don't need to know any details. But Harry, the time may come sooner than you think when you have to step up. I hope you're doing what this Keyworth says."

Neville took his leave. Ginny turned to Harry. "You are doing the exercises Keyworth gave you aren't you, Harry?"

"Of course I am," lied Harry.

**·****·**

Finally it was 8:00 am. Ron rang the Granger's doorbell. This time, Jean Granger was fully dressed when she opened the door. She showed Ron into the lounge room then went to fetch Hermione.

Ron paced the room, his heart thumping, his emotions jumping rapidly from fear to hope to remorse and back again. He heard Hermione arrive and turned to look at her.

The air rushed out of his lungs and his heart stopped. He felt an upwelling of love for Hermione. Love, fear, hope and remorse played across his face. He saw the same emotions on Hermione's face, but there was more. There was also hurt and resolve.

He couldn't stand the separation anymore. He rushed to her and she started moving towards him. They crushed together and held each other so tightly that they might never separate.

"I'm so sorry Hermione, I'm so sorry," sobbed Ron, "I love you so much."

"I love you too, Ron. I'm sorry too," sniffled Hermione. "Just hold me tight, don't say a word."

They stood like that for some time, drinking each other in, drawing comfort and strength from each other, healing each other. When they broke apart, Hermione pulled Ron over to the sofa and they sat down together.

"We need to talk," she said. Ron nodded gravely.

"You really hurt me, Ron."

"I know. I am so sorry."

"I know you are Ron, but it's not enough."

Ron's apprehension began to rise. "I don't know how to respond to that Hermione."

"I want us to look at what happened and work out how to prevent it happening again," she replied.

"That's sounds reasonable," replied Ron beginning to panic.

"First of all, do you accept that you were acting out of jealousy?"

Ron didn't think jealousy was the only reason behind his behaviour, but he didn't think it would be wise to say that right now. He simply nodded.

"OK, so why? Why are you jealous of Grantham? And please, don't go on about his having his hands all over me. That was just insulting, and it wasn't what happened."

"Alright, Hermione, objectively I agree. He didn't have his hands all over you. But, Hermione that is how it felt to me. I can't stand the thought of that man touching you."

"Yes, but why. You don't get upset if I hug Harry, or if I dance with Neville. If your father put his hand on my back and guided me through a room, as Grantham did, you wouldn't get upset. So why Grantham?"

"Because he's a smarmy git who wants to hurt you and you can't see it." Ron tried very hard to say this without any venom but didn't really succeed.

"I don't think any of that is true Ron. It just makes it easy to tell yourself that. I see very clearly who Oliver is. I have spent more time with him than you and I have done my research. He is a political opponent, a very effective one, but he bears me no personal animosity or ill will. He has a genuine respect for me. For you and Harry too for that matter. He is a man of principle. His interest in helping muggle born refugees is genuine and deep. In this area we have a shared passion. In this area we are not opponents, but potential collaborators. So I ask you again, why does he get to you so."

It was only as he listened to Hermione praise Oliver and felt his hackles rising that he realised that she was right and he understood why he truly disliked Grantham.

"It's because you like him so much, think he's fantastic. It's because he is mature, sophisticated and powerful. It's because he is smart and well educated and has a degree from Oxford, all the things I can never be and you love so much. On top of that he has the audacity to be bloody handsome." Ron gave a self-deprecating smile as he heard himself say this last bit.

"What I love so much and what Oliver can never be is you, Ron," said Hermione quietly.

"I know, but I don't understand it, I find it hard to hold onto. At times it seems too good to be true. I mean those things that are so important to you; learning, knowledge for its own sake -those aren't me. Why doesn't that matter to you?"

"You're passionate about Quidditch, Ron. Did you ever want to ditch me because I couldn't care less about it?"

"All the time," he joked. "Ok, I take your point. It doesn't affect how I feel about you in the tiniest respect."

"Here's the heart of the problem, you don't think your worthy of my love, which is rubbish. That's the problem we have to solve."

Ron went pale and then shivered.

"What's wrong, love," asked Hermione, suddenly worried.

"Voldemort understood this. It's how the horcrux chose to attack me."

"Perhaps it's time you told me about it, Ron."

"While I was wearing the cursed thing it tried to make me believe that there was something going on between you and Harry. It was easy really, you were best friends and we were living in very close proximity. There were lots of little scenes that could be misinterpreted. By the end, it had almost convinced me. That added a fair bit of venom to that final fight I had with Harry."

"Harry? Are you mad? I have never felt that way about Harry."

"Yeah, well, why not? He was the Chosen one, the tri wizard champion, the hero. I was just his sidekick," asked Ron in all seriousness.

"Who'd want a broody, scrawny, specky git when there was this tall, gorgeous, warm, funny boy just next to him?"

"I'll tell Harry you said that," teased Ron.

"Just don't tell Ginny." They both smiled.

"Any way, I know there is nothing between you and Harry. I mean I know it here." Ron thumped his chest. "At the time, though, it seemed real."

"So what happened when you destroyed the Horcrux? You said Harry saw it too." Hermione looked both curious and uneasy.

"When Harry opened the locket, it projected a vivid, compelling image. It was an image of you and Harry. You were entwined in each other's arms. You weren't wearing much."

Hermione blushed. Ron continued. "You were both mocking me. Harry, sneering, saying my family didn't want me and preferred him. You were laughing dismissively at me, saying no one would choose me over the chosen one, that I was nothing. Things like that. Then you and Harry kissed."

"So how do you feel about that now?" asked Hermione uncertainly.

"Not much really. At the time, those images pierced my soul with fingers of ice. I almost wanted to kill Harry and I had the sword of Gryffindor in my hand. That's what the horcrux wanted. It made a mistake though. I was far angrier at the thing showing me those images. I didn't want to know this truth. I stabbed it with all the hatred in the world to destroy that truth. Of course, what I really destroyed was its lies and the power behind them. Harry told me straight afterwards that he did love you, but as a sister and I knew he was telling the truth. When you and I finally got together, I knew for certain that all the rest was a lie too."

"For some time now, Ron, there has been a truth right at my centre, my core." Hermione pressed her hand to her heart. Her eyes were aflame. "That truth is that I love you. In recent months that has been joined by another truth, the certainty that you love me too. It is the most indescribably wonderful thing. Those are your words by the way. It's how you described the knowledge that I loved you that night we made a commitment to each other. Do you remember?"

"I remember just about everything about that night, Hermione, especially the commitments we made to each other."

"Do you remember that you also described the fact that I loved you as 'scarcely believable'? I want for you, Ron, what I have. I want you to _know_ in your heart of hearts, as a part of who you are, that I love you and that you are well and truly worthy of that love."

Ron was overcome. His wet eyes were filled with tenderness and adoration. "I do know it most of the time, Hermione, and it _is_ indescribably wonderful. But then all of a sudden it seems too good to be true, or maybe I hear someone say you could have anyone you want or you come home and start raving about some superman you've just met. It all goes out the window."

"Ron, I can't help you with this. This is what upsets me so much. It has to come from within you. Harry or I can tell you how wonderful you are and it doesn't do any good. I can tell you all the reasons I love you and it doesn't do any good. You have to find a way to have faith in yourself and to trust my love for you."

Ron just nodded. He had no idea how he could do this thing.

"Ron, this is important. Throughout my life I am going to be working with powerful and successful men. If you can't deal with that, it's going to be a real problem. I want you to think very hard about it. You think very well when you choose to. Then we can talk about it again on the weekend."

"You're not coming back to the Burrow?" Ron was crestfallen.

"I think I'd be too much of a distraction. You really need to work this through Ron."

"I think better after I've been 'distracted'," Ron grinned.

"You are talking to me, Ronald Weasley. I know exactly what you're like after you've been 'distracted'."

The hard part was over. The two friends sat comfortably with each other. They talked and they laughed. They talked about George and the shop, about Harry and Ginny and Hermione's parents and about the challenge to Kingsley and the meeting of PLEJ to be held that night.

When they parted they knew it was temporary and that, however difficult, they would work it out. The light had returned to their world.

**·****·**

Kingsley stood before the assembled leadership of PLEJ. Some wondered what he was doing at this meeting as Kingsley had declined to join PLEJ when it had been formed and was not a member. Doge, however, had invited him and asked him to speak.

"I understand that you are here tonight," started Kingsley, "to discuss the challenge to my position as Minister of Magic and PLEJ's response to it. I intend to fight this challenge with all the power at my disposal." Cheers erupted around the table.

Kingsley's demeanour was fierce, determined. "If I'm going to fight, I am going to fight under my true colours. If you will have me, I mean to join PLEJ and fight alongside you!" Immediately, people leapt to their feet and crowded around him, trying to shake his hand and slap him on the back."

"Sorry Kingsley," said Ron with a huge grin, "Nobody seems to want you." Hermione, who was sitting next to Ron, punched him playfully in the shoulder. "Welcome Kingsley," she added.

Percy, who, as party secretary, was chairing the meeting, cleared his throat loudly. "Ahem, let's return to the agenda, please. First item - reports on the developing situation. The Chair recognises Elphias Doge."

"Thank you Mr Chairman. I can confirm that the challenge is definitely on. An alliance has been formed between the Traditionalist, Merchant and Guild factions. Names that are being considered as their candidate for Kingsley's job include Dirgwood, Pringle and Grantham."

Rufus Lazarre jumped in. "It's definitely Gr-."

"Through the Chair, Mr Lazarre!"

"My apologies, Mr Percy Weasley."

"The Chair recognises Rufus Lazarre."

"As I was saying, it's definitely Grantham. He has been the instigator and driving force behind the creation of this alliance. A stunning achievement if he can pull it off. I regret to say they have the numbers too. Their combined numbers alone almost get them over the line. You have very few supporters amongst the Pragmatists either, Mr Shacklebolt – well you don't need me to tell you that. The alliance will pick up more than enough votes to win."

The elation they felt at Kinsley's fighting words evaporated. The mood was suddenly gloomy.

"I would like a general discussion on any action we can take." stated Percy, "The floor is open."

"The agreement between the Guild and the Merchants has to be a weak point," observed Hermione. "Their interests are naturally divergent. Any agreement they reach will be a heavy compromise and certainly leave some of their members unhappy. If we can identify them perhaps we can peel off their vote."

"Excellent suggestion, Hermione," said Bill. "We need to find out the terms of the agreement. Then we should be able to identify the losers. I'll see what I can find out through my banking connections."

"We will need to secure the independent vote. I have a plan for that," contributed Doge.

The discussion continued for another hour. The mood was more buoyant; they now had a strategy that gave them an outside chance of winning. It was a start.

After the meeting, Hermione approached Kingsley. "Can I have a private word, Kingsley?"

"Of course, Hermione." They moved to an empty office adjoining the conference room.

"Is this about your decision to join the board of Grantham's foundation?" Kingsley asked.

Hermione nodded. "I haven't actually decided yet, though I may have said that to Ron in the heat of the moment. I'd like to know what you think."

Kingsley stroked his chin. "Just at the moment Hermione, I'd like to kick Grantham's butt from here to Salem. I can't say that the idea of one of my favourite people choosing to work with him fills my heart with joy. But, Hermione, that's just an emotional reaction to the current situation. It's not how I'll feel in a couple of months' time, or even next week."

Hermione dipped her head and bit her lower lip.

When Hermione looked up again Kingsley looked reassuringly into her eyes. "Win or lose this coming fight, Grantham is destined to be one of the dominant figures in our political life for the next 50 years. So are you Hermione. There will be many times you will need to work together to get worthwhile things done. I don't see any reason why that shouldn't start now."

"Thank you Kingsley," Hermione said in a quiet voice full of relief.

"I heard your speech on Saturday night," continued Kingsley. "It was marvellous. You have every reason to feel passionate about this cause and every right to do something about it. If anyone bad mouths your decision on my account, I'll set them straight."

Hermione leapt at Kingsley and gave him a big hug.

Kingsley returned to his office leaving a beaming Hermione behind. It had been a great day, she concluded.

Ron came down to breakfast on Friday morning feeling ready to take on the world. He was seeing Hermione tomorrow and hopefully she was returning home.

He walked into the kitchen and was stopped dead in his tracks. Harry, Ginny, Molly, Arthur and surprisingly Bill were already there. The stricken looks on their faces sent a chill through his heart. "Who died?" he asked.

"I'm sorry Ron," said Harry in leaden tones. He pointed to the _Daily Prophet_ that was lying on the kitchen table.

With uncertain steps he moved forward. Before he reached the table he began to retch, the blazing headline seared in his mind.

**The Boy who Left the **_**'Boy who Lived'!**_

_Did Ronald Weasley abandon his two closest friends at their time of greatest peril?_


	26. I Am What I Am

Chapter 26: I Am What I Am

Ron was deathly pale. His skin was clammy. He felt a tightness in the chest and he was barely breathing. His eyes were unfocused as his mind spun in rapid circles around the fact that his greatest shame was now emblazoned across the front page of the _Daily Prophet_.

The horror, the sickening emptiness that gripped him grew and grew as he pictured first this friend and then that, each turning away from him in disgust, calling him a fraud, dismissing him as a liar and despising him for betraying his closest friends..

How could he ever show his face in public again? How could he ever look any man in the eye again?

It was unbearable.

He had to escape. But there was no escape. There was nowhere to escape to.

He was vaguely aware that those around him were trying to comfort him, but there was no comfort.

The buzz of conversation around him made no sense. In time meaning did penetrate but Ron felt detached, as if only an observer. He eavesdropped.

"I'll take the blame," said Harry. "I'll say that I was affected by the horcrux and ordered Ron to go. It's not completely untrue."

"It doesn't work Harry," said Bill. "It doesn't explain why you invented a cover story. It doesn't let Ron off the hook either. He didn't just leave you, Harry, he also left Hermione. The story makes a big play on that. It even ties in the fact that they have recently had a split, which they know because of George's stupid sign."

George looked just a little remorseful. "We could just deny it," he offered. "No one can prove otherwise. No one who knows otherwise will tell."

"Someone already has," said Ginny bitterly. She couldn't think of a single person who knew, though, who would have done so. It horrified her that someone had.

It was clear they were all thinking the same thing.

"Maybe Hagrid got drunk and let it slip. He's done that before," said Molly.

"Hagrid wasn't there at the briefing. He didn't know," replied Harry.

"Melanie Watts was," said Percy. They had all forgotten. She was there to take notes for Kingsley so he could prepare the press statement. It all became clear.

"Then, whoever kidnapped Melanie is the source of this information," summed up Ginny. She felt relieved that none of their closest friends had betrayed them.

"That's great," said George, "we can easily deny the whole thing. The culprits can't prove anything without incriminating themselves."

"I don't know," said Arthur, "When you start building lie on top of lie the end result can be far worse."

"I don't think it could get worse," replied Harry. He was very worried for his friend. He knew the revelation could almost destroy Ron. "I think we should deny it. Only Hermione and I know the real truth first hand and she is not going to let Ron down. I'll go and talk to Hermione. We'll issue a joint press release denying the whole story."

"_No_!"

They had almost forgotten Ron was in the room. His emphatic _no_ brought them all to silence.

"I don't want Hermione to lie for me. I don't want _you_ to lie for me, Harry. The lies end today. I have to face this."

"You sure about this Ron?" asked Harry dubiously.

When Harry had talked about Hermione, Ron had suddenly understood what he had to do, his path to salvation. It terrified him.

"No mate, but I have to do this any way." Ron turned towards his brother. "George, could you ask Lee Jordan to organise a press conference for 11:00am?"

"Sure Ron, if that's what you really want," replied George softly.

"I'll go and get Hermione," said Harry. "We can work on a statement."

"No, Harry," said Ron sharply, "I don't want Hermione involved."

"I know you and she are at odds at the moment, Ron, but nothing could stop her supporting you in this," said Harry emphatically.

"Hermione and I are fine, Harry, that's not the issue." Ron looked into the eyes of his best friend. "This is something that I have to find from within myself. I have to do this alone… Although, Harry, if you'd sit with me during the press conference I'd appreciate that very much."

Ron had never been more afraid in his life.

**·****·**

Three hours later Ron was nervously shuffling a few sheets of parchment on top of a small table. He was facing large group of journalists and photographers that almost filled the small hall. The rest of the room was taken up by Ron's family, all except Charlie who had returned to Romania. Seated beside Ron, Harry looked anxious.

Ron took a deep breath, then lifting his head from his notes he began to speak in a surprisingly clear, firm voice. "This morning the Daily Prophet published an article accusing me of abandoning my friends Harry Potter and Hermione Granger during our campaign against Voldemort, leaving at the time they were most in peril. There are many factual errors in the report and the interpretation is almost entirely incorrect. However, there is a core of truth to the article. It is my intention this morning to lay the bare facts before you and apologise for incorrect statements made in the past. Responsibility for those incorrect statements is entirely my own."

Ron took a sip of water. He took another deep breath, and then plunged on. "In late November last year the world seemed a dark place. We were at out lowest ebb. We had made no progress on our mission for some time. We were constantly on the run, moving every few days. We were cold, hungry and living with constant fear. Worse, we had not yet found a way to destroy the locket Horcrux we had obtained on our raid of the Ministry. Much of this is on the public record. What is not on the record is how the presence of the horcrux affected us. Its evil seeped into our souls. It magnified our disappointments and resentments and sucked the savour out of any small joy we could find."

Ron hesitated. This was the moment of truth. His voice faltered for a moment but then, with increasing determination he continued. "It is in this context that Harry and I had an almighty argument. We became furious with each other. Very ugly things were said. I stormed out. Hermione begged me to stay, but I was angry with her too and I left."

"I regretted leaving almost the moment I left. Unfortunately, I quickly ran into some Snatchers and had to disapparate again. After that, the nature of our magical protections made it almost impossible to return. I wasn't able to do so until just after Christmas. During that time Harry and Hermione were almost killed." Ron's voice broke as he spoke these last few words. It took all his resolve to regather his composure and continue.

"Leaving Harry and Hermione is, I believe, the worst thing I have ever done. Not our low ebb, not the horcrux nor the blazing row is sufficient excuse for it. The stakes were too high. We were engaged in a desperate and deadly struggle with a monstrous evil. I had made a commitment to Harry and Hermione to stick with it no matter what. I failed them."

"Harry and Hermione have long since forgiven me for what I did. It has taken me a lot longer to come to terms with it myself. Out of loyalty to me Harry and Hermione agreed to go along with the cover story that was put out. I apologise to you all for the deception."

Ron put down the notes he had barely consulted. "I am ready to take your questions. Harry is not here to take questions. This is my mess. He is here to give a friend moral support. Hermione Granger is not here at my insistence. I have put her through enough and she doesn't need to go through it again. Questions?"

"Aneurin Laugharne, the _Welsh Dragon. _As one red head to another, don't you think you are giving yourself too much of a hard time over a momentary lapse?"

Chuckles rippled through the room and Ron smiled. "I wish I could agree with you, Aneurin. We were in a situation where a momentary lapse could be fatal. The absolute commitment we three had made to each other had to be the one thing we could rely on completely. I cannot in any way regard my failure as minor."

Several questions followed on what Ron did during the time he was separated which he answered comfortably. The next question was from Douglas Douglas of the _Glasgow Gleaner. _

"You said it took you a long time to come to terms with what you did. How did you finally do that and how long did it take?"

Ron felt his chest constrict. Here was the heart of the matter, the opportunity to say what he most needed to say.

"I'll answer the last part of your question first," replied Ron. "I don't think it was till this morning, after reading the article in today's paper that I finally came to terms with it. But that was just the end of a long process. It took time, but I came to understand that I am not just my failures, or just my successes for that matter. I am both those and far more besides. I had to decide whether, on the whole, warts and all, I was someone I could like, even respect. I came to believe that I am. You may conclude differently. That is how I came to terms with it. I am what I am, failures and all and I don't have to hide anymore."

Ron's sincerity and candour got through the hardened carapace of many of the journalists assembled there. Some nodded their heads. One had tears in her eyes. It didn't last long.

Cantilena Misslethorpe jumped to her feet. "Cantilena Misslethorpe, _Witch Weekly. _There have been reports that you and Hermione Granger have broken up. Is the real reason she is not here today that she is far too ashamed of you to be seen with you in public?"

Ron was angry. He decided to calm himself first before firing off his bullets. He breathed in slowly.

"_That is a lie!_" Hermione stepped from behind a pillar. She marched steadily towards the front of the hall, heads swivelling to watch her progress. She turned to face the journalists. "I have never been prouder of anyone in my life." She conjured a chair, sat next to Ron and gave him a big kiss. "We haven't broken up either!" she announced, perhaps unnecessarily.

Lee Jordan thought this would be an excellent time to end the press conference and brought it swiftly to a close.

As the journalists filed out, Hermione turned to Ron. "I really meant that you know. I have never been prouder of anyone in my life."

Harry concurred. "Yeah mate, that was a gutsy performance. I think it worked too."

"It worked for me," said Ron quietly, "That's what's important."

"Why didn't you tell me what had happened Ron or about the press conference?" Hermione asked, just a little miffed. "I would have rushed right over."

"I know. It's what you said the other day, Hermione. This had to come from within. I had to find a way to do this myself. I had to find a way to believe in me as you and Harry do."

Hermione crushed him in a big hug. By now the rest of the family arrived and congratulated Ron.

"Way to go, little brother," said George with a big smile.

Ron replied. "You better get that sack of potatoes out, George; I'm taking the rest of the day off." He turned to Hermione. "Are you coming to the Burrow for lunch?"

Hermione nodded. Ron, Hermione, Ginny and Molly returned to the Burrow while the rest of the family and Harry headed to work.

**·****·**

Oliver Grantham entered the lift on the way to a meeting in the ministry. He was surprised to see his sister-in-law Melanie already in the lift.

"Morning Melanie."

She spat in his face. "I can't prove it Oliver, but I know you did it. I would prefer if you do not visit my home again in the future." She exited the lift leaving a shocked Oliver behind with spit on his face."

**·****·**

"How did you know about the press conference, Hermione?" Ron and Hermione were sitting on their bed at the Burrow.

"A journalist tracked me down to get my reaction to the _Prophet_ article. I almost collapsed when I read it. Anyway, she didn't get anything from me but I got all the details from her. I went to the Burrow immediately but you had already left. I got to the press conference just as you started. I didn't want to throw you off so I hid down the back."

Hermione got up off the bed and took out her beaded bag. She started pulling out her clothes, still all neatly hanging on clothes hangers and putting them away in the cupboard.

"You're moving back?" asked Ron.

"If you'll have me, I may have been a little hard on you Ron, I'm sorry. You weren't the only one in the wrong."

"Mm, do you want to expand on this?"

"Do I have to?" asked Hermione.

"Think of it as a growth opportunity," Ron smirked.

Hermione frowned. "I should have talked to you before about how deeply I felt about helping other muggle born. We never seemed to be able to get past Grantham so I didn't. Also, I didn't really have to make you wait to Wednesday before we talked. I'm sorry."

"Apology accepted. You can continue putting away your clothes. Then you can hurry back here. I have something for you." Ron patted the bed beside him.

Hermione did as she was told, but instead of getting the kiss she expected, Ron reached under the bed and pulled out a package. "This is for you."

It was a small flat package, neatly wrapped in silver paper.

Hermione was curious. She opened it eagerly to reveal a small flat leather case about 2 inches by one, trimmed with gold.

"Press that little seal there, with the otter image," instructed Ron.

Hermione did so. The case expanded into a full size attaché case. It had a plush fully lined interior with the well organised space divided into various compartments and holders.

"You can organise all your files and reports in it and then shrink it down and pop it in your purse, all ready for your first board meeting," said Ron nonchalantly.

Hermione gave him a big hug. "Oh Ron, it's brilliant."

"The colour is periwinkle, the same colour as the dress you wore to the Yule ball. When I look at it, it will remind me how useless and destructive jealousy is."

Hermione looked at Ron with tears in her eyes. She looked at the case again and then she began to laugh.

"You know, Ron, some people would call this colour lavender."

Ron blushed. "No, Ron," said Hermione, "that's a good thing. If I had been open with you and told you my feelings the whole Lavender episode would never have happened. I can look at this case and be reminded of the dangers of not sharing my feelings."

Hermione leaned back on the bed. "I haven't decided yet whether to take the board position. Maybe we should sit down and go through all the pros and cons."

"Yeah, that would be good. But first I think we need a little distraction."

"What kind of distraction, Mr Weasley?"

"Well, it doesn't involve Quidditch."

**·****·**

Oliver Grantham was sitting in an overstuffed leather lounge chair in the richly decorated Galen club. Portraits of important healers from antiquity filled the walls. In one corner a very old wizard was reading a scroll held inches from his eyes. He was loudly sucking smoke that had been filtered through a bubbling purple potion.

Grantham was the guest of Hypon Gallant who had invited him to the club for a "quiet word." Hypon had just finished regaling Oliver with some of the political intrigues on the board of St Mungo's. It was now time to get down to business.

"I hear there was a very interesting press conference this morning. Apparently, the three young stars of our age managed to turn a negative story into a positive and come up smelling of roses again. Very impressive trio I have to say," began Hypon.

"Yes, I heard," responded Oliver wondering where this was going. He had a few ideas.

Hypon stroked his patrician visage. He had all the august bearing of the ancient healers whose eyes looked down upon them from their portraits. "They are obviously destined for great things in the fullness of time. Still, they are very young. There are those that think that it would be unfortunate should our young friends find themselves members of the Wizengamot before they had time to properly mature."

"Ah," thought Grantham. It had long ceased to amaze him that supposedly confidential committees leaked like rotten wine casks. "I can't say I would be particularly pleased to see them in the Wizengamot, Hypon. They are dangerous enough outside it."

"Good, good. I am glad to hear you say that. One hears curious things from time to time. I try not to put much stock in them." Gallant settled back in his chair.

Grantham said nothing. He waited for Gallant to continue. Eventually he did.

"Sound judgement, that's what one looks for in people in high positions. It's possible that certain arrangements would have to be changed if, in a fit of youthful idealism or a misguided sense of propriety, someone were to display a less than sound grasp of the realities of the situation."

"It's always preferable to see things as they truly are," replied Grantham.

"I am glad you understand," replied Gallant.

The message couldn't be clearer. If Grantham supported the award of first class Merlins to the trio, they would find another candidate for Minister of Magic. Well, he reminded himself, he didn't particularly like the idea of the awards.

**·****·**

The Burrow was bustling with activity on Sunday morning. It was Ginny's seventeenth birthday the next day, but they had decided to celebrate it on Sunday so everyone could attend a family lunch. In addition to the family, Neville and Luna were coming as were several of Ginny's classmates. Aunt Muriel would also be there along with Andromeda Tonks and little Teddy, Harry's godson.

Harry and Ginny had become regular visitors to Andromeda's and had come to like her. They simply adored Teddy.

Ginny had been excused helping with the preparations for the party so she was wandering around the house making a nuisance of herself. She scanned the newspaper that lay on the kitchen table.

"Hey, it's my birthday," complained Ginny. "How come Ron's photo is on the front cover of the _Prophet_?" Ron's photo was accompanied by an editorial entitled '_Honour, Integrity and Courage_'.

"You've had more than your fair share of publicity, Ginevra," her mother scolded light heartedly. "I would hate to think you were becoming, vain. I hope you don't say something like that in front of Aunt Muriel today. She'll spread it around that the Weasleys are now putting on airs."

"Why did you have to ask her anyway, Mom? She doesn't like me," whined Ginny.

"I don't think she likes anyone, Dear, but she is your oldest female relative and she also provided the family with a safe haven when we had to go on the run. It's only proper to invite her." Molly hadn't lost a beat as she wielded her wand like a maestro's baton, conducting an orchestra of knives, graters and spoons as they sliced, chopped, grated and stirred in harmony.

"Where's Fleur?" asked Ginny. In recent months, Fleur had become an indispensable support for Molly at large gatherings.

"Bill sent word she was feeling sick this morning. He's hopeful she'll be well enough to come to the party."

Ginny's eyes opened wide. "How long has that been going on?" she asked. Molly just shrugged causing a knife to go scampering after a carrot that had suddenly leapt from the chopping board.

By noon, the lounge room of the Burrow was crowded with guests. Pumpkin juice and savouries circulated through the room. Little Teddy was a hit as he was handed around, his hair colour changing to match each new holder. Muriel clearly disapproved, but as she was handed Teddy she softened slightly. What happened next surprised everyone. Teddy gave Muriel a big smile and then his hair colour changed, but not to Muriel's grey. It turned a deep, rich auburn, the exact shade of Muriel's hair when she was a young girl. Muriel's eye's filled with tears and she hugged Teddy, but then she quickly passed him on and fought to regain her stiff composure.

"Present time," announced Arthur with glee. Very soon Ginny was surrounded by a treasure trove. Neville had given her a perpetually flowering rose pot plant. "It's beautiful, but has thorns for the unwary, just like you, Ginny" he said in a rare moment of poetry.

Hermione had given Ginny one of her magical homework and study planners and a beautiful stationery set – for all those long letters to Harry she would be writing.

"Your turn Harry," announced Arthur. Harry got up and gave Ginny a small round parcel.

It was the wrong shape for a jewellery box, and too soft. She shook it but learnt nothing. Eagerly she ripped of the wrapping only to reveal Hermione's beaded bag.

"You can't keep the bag," laughed Hermione. Your present is inside. Ginny reached inside the bag and felt something hard, wrapped in paper. She started pulling. It took a while for the entire package to emerge, but when it did the shape was unmistakeable. Ginny attacked the last barrier to her present and soon held a Firebolt Mk2 in her hands. Ginny was unable to move, let alone speak.

"It's probably the finest broomstick in the world," breathed Ron in awe. He would have been speechless himself if he hadn't already known what was coming.

Harry knelt down beside Ginny who still hadn't spoken. She looked into his eyes. "Harry, this is too much. It's not right."

Harry took her hands in his. He spoke softly so only she could hear. "Nothing is too much for the most beautiful chaser in the world. Besides," he said, now speaking more loudly, "I see this as a business investment. I expect 10% of your match earnings when you turn professional."

"Hah, 5% tops," replied Ginny.

"Mm 5% and a kiss after each match,"

"Done," laughed Ginny and leapt into Harry's embrace.

Arthur now got to his feet. "Before Molly and I give Ginny our present, I'd like to say a few short words. Today is a transformational event for our family in many ways. The last of our children comes of age and enters adult life. The horrors of our recent past meant that Ginny had to take on some of the heaviest burdens of adulthood long before it was her time and I am so proud of how she rose to that responsibility. This too is the first major family occasion where our marvellous son Fred is not with us. Later I will ask you all to toast his memory. What Molly and I are truly hoping is that today will mark a new beginning for our family. A new era, not the same as the old, but where joy and happiness can once again flourish. I look across the room to my beautiful, wonderful daughter-in-law, Fleur the first addition to our adult family. I look around the room and I do not believe it will be too many years before our family begins to grow again, in more ways than one."

"Well, it is Ginny's birthday, so I better get back to talking about her before she hexes me," joked Arthur to much laughter. "Ginny has six elder brothers. She is the first girl to be born in the Weasley clan for several generations. So you can see Ginny has never been a conformist. She always likes to swim against the stream and challenge tradition. Your mother and I, though, do appreciate certain traditions and one of them is to present your daughter, on coming of age, with a special piece of jewellery. We both love you so very much dearest Ginevra." Arthur was beaming at his daughter.

Molly stepped forward and handed an unwrapped box to Ginny. She opened it gingerly. Her jaw dropped. Inside was an exquisite pendant, a single large sapphire surrounded by a ring of brilliant diamonds. It was threaded on a delicate silver chain. "It's so beautiful," she breathed. She hugged her mother then gave her father an extra big hug.

It was a marvellous day. In so many ways it truly did mark a new beginning for the Weasley family. For George it was something of a turning point. He led the toast to his brother. It was poignant, beautiful and though it was full of emotion he was able to do it without breaking down. He had asked Angelina Johnson along "as a friend". Percy, too, had chanced asking Audrey again, hoping this time no great drama would mar the day. He got his wish. Although they didn't know it at the time, it was the first family occasion where all the future spouses of the Weasley children were present. Only Fleur and Bill knew that the first of the next generation of Weasleys was there as well and had begun her long journey to first breath.

**·****·**

It was 1:00 am. The household had long since retired after a long and joyful day. The door to Harry's room opened and there stood Ginny, bathed in the soft light from the landing. She had never looked more beautiful or more sensual. She had abandoned her usual summer night-time uniform of pyjama shorts and t-shirt. She was wearing a very feminine nightie, her birthday present to herself, Harry realised, and to him.

There was no doubting Ginny's intentions or the response of his body. Harry knew that if they started there would be no holding back for either of them. Slowly he pulled back the covers and invited Ginny into his bed.


	27. Command Decision

Chapter 27: Command Decision

It was a little over a week since Ginny's birthday and she was snug in bed, deep in sleep. She was jolted by the piercing wail of a banshee and a bright pulsing light. Ginny cocked open one eye and determined that both crimes against all things decent and good were emanating from a small crystal sphere on the stand beside her bed. She reached for her wand and was about to hex the offending ball into oblivion when an arm reached over her head, tapped the ball and restored peace to the world.

"You better get back to your bed, Ginny," said Harry, already getting up and changing. "That thing may have pierced the silencing charm we put on the room. Your Mum could be up any minute to investigate."

"What is that atrocity?" she asked, her dislike plain to see.

"It's my auror emergency beeper. I've got to report to HQ immediately; something must have happened."

Ginny hated the thing. Her relationship with it would never improve. She would learn in time that when it went off, the best you could hope for was that people you care about would eventually return alive and uninjured. It didn't always happen. Ginny gave Harry a kiss and scurried back to her own room. Moments later Harry disapparated.

When Harry arrived at the Auror HQ apparition point he was almost knocked over.

"Out of the way, Potter," yelled Harvey Williamson as he and two other grim faced aurors charged by and quickly disapparated. Harry walked briskly to his unit area.

"Briefing room, now Harry!" ordered Grollo. When he entered the room, Terry Boot, Paul Appleton and Heloise Abbott were already there. Within a minute all the remainder of the new recruits had arrived. Neville was the last.

Gristlewaite bustled into the room accompanied by Savage and Cherry McGruder. He launched straight into a briefing.

"OK, here's the situation. In the early hours of this morning we received a series of bomb threats. Our assessment is that these threats are genuine. Unless we release all Death Eaters now in Azkaban, a series of large bombs will be detonated in the heart of major population centres. The first bomb is scheduled to go off in London at 7:00 am, followed two hours later in Birmingham and then Leeds. Other unspecified actions are threatened if no rapid progress is apparent."

Harry looked at his watch. It was 5:30 am.

Gristlewaite continued. "We have already dispatched teams to each of the targeted cities. Any bombs set up by Death Eaters are likely to have magical signatures and we are trying to use that to locate them. I don't have to tell you it's a long shot. Muggle authorities have been informed. Magical Law Enforcement has enacted their emergency protocols and will be assisting the muggle authorities."

"You are being held here in reserve. You will be despatched as needed to any new threat points. In the meantime we want you to go through all the recent intelligence reports. See if you can find anything, however small, that might have been overlooked I can't tell you what to look for. You are going to have to use your brains. Boot, Patil, Appleton you have experience in intelligence analysis, I'll ask you to coordinate efforts. You can set up here." With that, box upon box, each stuffed with thick reports floated into the room.

"Get to it. Savage, McGruder – with me!" The three senior aurors left the room.

Nearly two hours later, Harry was having trouble concentrating. Nothing in all the reports he had read seemed relevant and most were filled with mind numbing tables and charts. No one else had spotted anything useful either. Terry Boot had become excited when he thought he saw an anomalous pattern emerging in the apparition traffic reports but it turned out to be a chimera.

Harry picked up another heavy report and was just about to open it when Cherry McGruder returned. She was deathly pale.

"At 7:02 this morning, just fifteen minutes ago, a large bomb exploded near Marylebone station in central London," she announced. "First reports indicate that 13 muggles have been killed and scores have been injured, many seriously. An MLE officer was killed by a secondary device that detonated when he rushed to the scene. We believe it was triggered by an apparition detector, but that is just speculation at this stage."

"Do we know the name of the MLE officer," asked a dismayed Heloise. She, Grollo and Paul had only just transferred from MLE and still had many close friends there.

"I'm sorry Heloise, no we don't but I will let you know when we do."

Seamus shoved back his chair angrily, slamming down the report in his hand. "This is rubbish. We should be out there doing something, not here shifting dust." There were murmurs of support.

"I know how you feel Seamus. I'm guessing we'll all be out in the field before too long," said Cherry sympathetically. "I know it seems like a waste, but in the mean time you just might find something in those reports that saves a life."

Seamus glared at Cherry for a moment then picked up his report and continued reading. His renewed enthusiasm didn't last long. He and several others, including Harry, were as good as napping when, a little over an hour later, Savage returned and strode briskly to the rostrum.

"We'll be moving out in 10 minutes," he informed the rapidly stirring recruits. "We have received additional threats with bombs now also targeting Manchester and Liverpool. Unit A will be coming with me to Manchester, Team B with McGruder to Liverpool."

Savage launched into a briefing of the procedures they would follow when they reached their assigned cities. "Any questions?" he asked when he finished.

"Could you just go through that detection spell again?" asked Neville. "It seemed sort of tricky."

"Ok, everyone up and we'll practice it," replied Savage, but before anyone could move Gristlewaite's brusque voice cut across the room. "Hold that, change of plan. Can I have a word, Savage?"

Gristlewaite and Savage spoke in the corridor for several minutes. When they both returned to the briefing room Savage looked afraid. Gristlewaite addressed the young aurors.

"Someone is trying to run us ragged and stretch us thin, and so far they are succeeding. Whoever is behind this has given the list of threatened cities to the muggle media and they have broadcast it. After what happened in London, there is widespread panic in Britain's top cities. The muggle Prime Minister is livid. This was supposed to be all over. He is demanding action."

"As if that wasn't bad enough, in the last few minutes we have received word that a group of wizards and witches, the exact number is unknown, have occupied a primary school in Godric's Hollow and taken the children and teachers hostage. We don't know what they want yet, but it has to be related. Normally this would require a response from two full squads, but we don't have the manpower. McGruder take Patil, Brown and Appleton and proceed to Liverpool as originally planned. Savage will be taking the rest of you to Godric's Hollow. You'll have support from MLE and the local muggle police but we can spare no one else. You're on your own. Bombs are going off and people are dying. That has to be our priority. Stabilise the situation, resolve it if you can. However, please remember under no circumstances will we be releasing any prisoners from Azkaban. Good luck." Gristlewaite walked with purpose out of the room and towards whatever new crisis he had to face.

Cherry McGruder got to her feet and also headed out gesturing for Lavender, Pavarti and Paul to follow her. All remaining eyes swivelled towards Savage who looked close to vomiting. He took several deep breaths before speaking. "We covered the basic procedures for a hostage situation in training camp," he begun, "but I want to go over them again." This time, no one groaned. Ten minutes later they headed out.

Peverell Primary School was a tiny two classroom school on the outskirts of Godric's Hollow. Its two muggle teachers taught twenty 5 to 9 year olds. Unknown to the teachers, close to a third of the students were magical.

The school was set on the edge of a large park. To the left, looking from the street that ran in front of the school, was a rather dilapidated old house with a large garden gone to seed. The park surrounded the school on the other three sides. Part of the park had been expropriated by the school as a playground.

By the time the team of aurors arrived, Magical Law Enforcement, working with the muggle police, had already cordoned off the area and evacuated nearby houses. Savage set up his command centre in a large house across the road from the school. It gave a good view of the school and had a large backyard that was out of sight.

The aurors set up an anti disapparition field covering the school immediately they arrived. Savage sought a briefing from the MLE officer in charge. Standard protocol was for the lead auror, no matter how junior, to be in overall command of the scene. However, one of the children held hostage was the grandson of MLE's third most senior officer and he had arrived and taken over MLE operations. He was not the sort to be deferential to a 'snot nosed junior auror' as he later described Savage to a colleague. He did, however give Savage an update. There were believed to be two teachers and 17 children inside. There was no firm number on the number of hostage takers. Best guess was between 3 and 5. One local swears he saw several 'aliens beam down like Star Trek' and walk into the building at about 8:35am. A tardy mother who arrived with her child five minutes later was attacked with what she describes as 'a rifle firing exploding bullets'. She was told to clear off. There has been no other communication in either direction.

Savage posted aurors at concealed vantage points around the school with instructions to observe and report only. He eagerly awaited the arrival of the negotiator who was generally a mental specialist from St Mungo's with training in hostage negotiation. When he arrived, the negotiator introduced himself to Savage.

"Stephen Keyworth, I understand you're in charge."

"Yes…Herbert Savage. Pleased to meet you." Savage gave him a briefing and then Keyworth went straight to work. He stood on the side of the road away from the school. He was flanked by two aurors ready to provide him with a protective shield if he was attacked. One of them was Harry but Keyworth did not acknowledge him.

"_Sonorus,_" he chanted with his wand to his throat. Keyworth then spoke in a normal tone, his now amplified voice easily audible from the school. "My name is Stephen Keyworth. I am a healer from St Mungo's and I have been asked to be an intermediary. I would like to come and discuss the situation with you if I may. I will leave my wand behind."

They stood waiting in the open, feeling vulnerable, but there was no response. Keyworth was about to try again when a voice boomed from the school. "You may approach to within 5 metres."

Keyworth handed his wand to Harry who watched him intently as he walked slowly towards the school. When Keyworth was close, the front door cracked open and a hand beckoned him. Keyworth disappeared inside.

As Harry waited, trying to keep watch on the school, his mind and his eyes were constantly drawn further down the road. There, plain to see, stood Bathilda Bagshot's still damaged home. Harry tried hard to shut thoughts of that terrible night out of his mind.

It was fifteen minutes before Keyworth emerged.

"They are demanding the release of all Death Eaters in Azkaban," he reported to Savage, "or else they will start executing the children, one muggle and one magical every hour. We have thirty minutes to give them an answer."

"We can't give them what they want," responded Savage, his voice heavy with worry.

"We have to offer them something!" said the MLE commander.

"I don't have the authorisation," replied Savage.

"My assessment is that they are not bluffing. The man I spoke to is deadly serious, rational and calm. This group has already killed people in London without any qualms. If it advances their plan they will have no difficulty killing children in cold blood." Keyworth's words chilled those who heard them.

"How many of them are there? How are the children?" asked Harry.

It was only then that the MLE commander realised who Harry was. He did a double take.

"I didn't get beyond the vestibule, unfortunately Harry," replied Keyworth "I couldn't see or hear anything in the other rooms. I only saw the one man and he was wearing a Death Mask. He was definitely young, probably in his early twenties. He didn't have the dark mark. He is calling himself Fabius, though that is clearly not his real name."

"You have to buy us some time, Keyworth, we haven't got sufficient forces here yet for a successful assault if that becomes necessary," pleaded Savage.

"You can't be thinking of an assault, Savage. It's far too dangerous!" declared the MLE commander angrily. "Half the children could die. I won't countenance it. I won't support it."

"If that becomes necessary, that is exactly what I'll do and you will support it," Savage retorted. "It's my decision!"

"We'll see about that!" The MLE Commander stormed out of the building.

Just as the sound of the slamming door faded, a bright light appeared in the middle of the room. It quickly took on the shape of a shimmering bull. From its centre growled Gristlewaite's uncharacteristically strained voice. "A second bomb has now gone off, in Leeds not Birmingham as we were led to believe. Panic is bound to escalate. There were only three deaths this time, mercifully. Imperative you keep a lid on things in Godric's Hollow. Over."

"How much time can you buy me, Keyworth?" Savage asked.

"I am confident I can buy you an hour, Savage, but beyond that I need something to offer. You need a plan," responded Keyworth.

Savage nodded. "Go, get me what you can." He then turned to Harry. "We need to work out an assault plan as a contingency. Get Longbottom and Grollo Porfey, will you Potter."

When Harry returned with Neville and Grollo, Savage was intently studying a plan of the school.

"I think we should attack from two sides, each group storming one of the two classrooms. That way, whichever room the children are in we will be able take out their captors in the first strike," Savage said without looking up.

Grollo was horrified. "We don't have enough people for that. Each group is too weak to do the job. The defenders are likely to be concentrated in one room. One attacking group will be outnumbered and the other will be in the wrong position to do anything at all. Merlin knows how many kids would get killed in the middle of a prolonged fight."

"That's why I don't want to do it. This is only in case things go bad and they started killing hostages. I want to delay things till we can get reinforcements. I want to borrow people from MLE too."

"We're not going to get reinforcements," said Harry, "and that MLE guy isn't going to give you any men either."

"We need to know how many are in there and where they are located in the building before we even think about an assault," insisted Grollo. "It's madness otherwise."

"And how do you propose we get that information," replied Savage tersely. "They've managed to block _Homenum Revelio_ and every other probe we've tried. Maybe we should just knock on the front door and ask them."

"Yeah, maybe we should," said Neville. "Not literally, but maybe we can send someone in with food or trick them into betraying the information. The longer we can spin this out, the likelier that they'll make a mistake."

"Keyworth has said they will start killing people if I don't give them what they want and that I can't do." Savage's voice was very strained. He slumped down in a chair and supported his head in his hands.

"We can pretend to," said Harry, "and then just string them along with delays. Merlin, would it even hurt if we gave them someone like Gregory Goyle. The idiot would probably get himself recaptured in a day or two."

"And what happens if they find out we're lying?" asked Savage without looking up. "How many kids do they murder to teach us a lesson?"

Keyworth returned just in time to hear these questions. His reply was grim. "I think it likely the man in charge, the one calling himself Fabius, would kill at least one hostage if he caught us in a lie, probably more."

Savage slumped further in his chair.

Keyworth continued. "I can't get them to budge. Fabius is threatening to kill the first two hostages in exactly 35 minutes if we don't agree to his demands."

The silence stretched into minutes as Savage agonised. He was close to despair and then, suddenly, he straightened in his chair. "We're going to attack, we have no choice."

"Of course we have a choice. This is madness!" declared Grollo.

Savage looked him in the eye. "We've been through it, Grollo. Are you going to disobey a direct order?"

Grollo stood defiantly, glaring at Savage, fighting a war within. His stance slumped. "I will obey under protest," he replied.

"Noted. Could you please send a message to the rest of the team to assemble here post haste." Savage walked to the front window and studied the scene.

Harry was in deep turmoil. It had been building ever since they had arrived. He was now certain a disaster was in the offing, but he desperately didn't want to be the one who had to fix it. His hopes had been pinned on Grollo. That had come to nothing.

It didn't help that they were in Godric's Hollow. Even now, when Bathilda Bagshot's house was out of sight, he felt its presence. It made him uneasy.

Harry became aware that Neville was observing him. He looked up at Neville who chose that moment to speak. "It's time to make a choice, Harry."

Harry's breathing became laboured. He felt crushed by the weight of Neville's expectation, his clear faith that Harry would be able to do something. Why couldn't Neville do it? But then he understood that Neville would if he could, that nothing would stop him. Slowly, he got his breathing under control. With deliberate steps Harry closed the distance between him and Healer Keyworth. Neville watched as they spent several minutes in earnest conversation.

Grollo returned and soon the whole team had assembled.

Savage didn't waste any time. "We are going to assault the school. I have-"

"Sir…" Harry cut across him, "You told us during training that any auror has the right to go over the head of his superior if he believes a serious mistake is about to be made. I invoke that right."

Savage was shocked but then he began to smirk. "Go ahead, Potter. I'm sure Gristlewaite will be thrilled with your appeal."

Harry took out his wand and cast his stag patronus. The shimmery image rushed away at high speed towards London. Harry spoke. "Minister Shacklebolt. I am requesting that you place me in complete command of the situation at Godric's Hollow, including over the MLE. Otherwise we are likely to have 17 dead children on our hands. I also request authorisation to interview and order the movement of prisoners to and from Azkaban. I need your urgent reply. The situation is critical."

Savage was stunned, as were Grollo and Heloise. It had not occurred to them that Harry could or would go straight to the Minister of Magic. The reaction of the DA members ranged from deeply surprised, in the case of Seamus, to the broad smile on Neville's face.

Kingsley's response took only 30 seconds. A shining lynx hovered in the room and Kingsley's voice boomed forth. "You have it, Harry. I trust you understand what you are doing. I will inform all relevant people immediately. Good luck and welcome back." The lynx disappeared.

"Healer Keyworth," ordered Harry, "could you inform the hostage takers that the authorities have agreed in principle with their demands but are still working on the details. That you will have more in about 40 minutes and that all bets are off if anyone is harmed. Include the bombs in that if you believe they have the capacity to stop them. Get back here as soon as you can." Keyworth nodded and set out.

"Neville, could you go and get Ron and bring him through the cordon? I'd like to get his input. He should be in George's shop."

"You've got it Harry," replied Neville and he too headed off immediately.

"Grollo, could you let the MLE commander know what's happened. I would like him and his 2IC to join us in five minutes for a discussion. Terry, could you stay here, the rest of you may want to get back to your observation posts." They all quickly moved.

"And what do you want me to do, Potter?" asked Savage with some bitterness.

"I'll want your input on whatever plan we finally develop. You are still by far the most experienced Auror here. If we do assault the school I will also want your wand by my side."

Savage snorted. "You've probably done me a favour, Potter, though you've likely killed my career too."

"Not as quickly or as thoroughly as 17 dead children would have done," remarked Terry with contempt.

"Now is not the time, Terry," Harry replied curtly.

**·****·**

Jean Granger had decided she only wanted to work part time now that they had returned to England. She had discovered in Australia that there was more to life than root canals and she wanted to participate in it. Hermione had planned spending the morning helping her mother set up an art studio in the spare room. When she did finally arrive, it wasn't to help her mother.

Ginny and then Hermione had become increasingly distressed as the morning progressed. It wasn't just Harry who had been called in early. Percy and then Arthur both got calls and had left by 7:00. Something was clearly happening but no one knew anything.

The Wizarding Wireless Network was silent on the matter. It wasn't until about 8:30 they finally reported the London bomb. When they mistakenly reported that an auror had been killed Ginny nearly collapsed. Hermione felt sick to the stomach. They had tried to apparate to Auror headquarters but it was in lockdown and they were blocked. When the report was corrected ten minutes later they both felt relieved but were still stressed.

It occurred to Hermione that muggle TV would be doing a far better job of covering the crisis and if she listened to wizard wireless at the same time she could get the magical side of the story too. She and Ginny apparated to the Grangers with a promise to keep Molly informed.

Ginny, Jean and Hermione watched transfixed as the nation descended into panic. They listened sometimes to the TV, sometimes to wizard wireless. Ginny's amazement of the scope and immediacy of the muggle coverage helped a little to reduce her anxiety. Some aspects baffled her though.

"Why do they keep on repeating themselves and why do the reporters keep on asking each other questions when it is clear they don't know the answers?" she asked.

Jean laughed. "Many a thesis has been written trying to answer those questions, Ginny. As of yet, no one has come up with a satisfactory answer."

Jean had her own problems with the coverage. Hearing the wizarding side of the story disturbed her. She realised that the muggle reports were missing the essential ingredients that enabled a true understanding of what was actually happening. She couldn't help wondering how much of her mental map of the world was, in fact, an illusion.

After a while, they stopped watching. The need to _do_ something became overwhelming and they started working on Jean's new studio, keeping an ear cocked for developments. It was the mention of increased activity at Godric's Hollow that brought Hermione and Ginny back to the TV.

"Look, there's Neville," shrieked Ginny as the camera focused on a man in uniform whom they described as a member of an elite SWAT team. Ginny's hand flew to her mouth. Barely audibly she breathed "Oh Merlin, that's Ron. What's he doing there?"

Hermione couldn't answer her. She stood there, white as a sheet, unable to move. Then she turned on the spot and disappeared. She returned a few minutes later.

"What did you find out?" demanded Ginny.

"Neville turned up at the shop ten minutes ago, said Harry needed Ron urgently. They both left immediately. That's all George knows," answered Hermione.

"It doesn't make sense," said Ginny frowning.

"Yeah it does," replied Hermione. "It means Harry is now in charge and he wanted Ron's input on tactics and strategy. If Harry has taken over, the situation there must be desperate."

Ginny was ashen faced. "Neville told Harry the other day that he might have to step up. They don't have much faith in their commander. I'm not sure he's ready, Hermione. This could take him right back to where he was when he had his breakdown."

Hermione slumped down into a chair. "You know, it was bad enough when I was with Harry and Ron when they were in danger. In some ways this is worse."

"Welcome to my world, Hermione," replied Ginny.

**·****·**

"No!" insisted Stephen Keyworth. "They will not agree with it. They will not give the prisoners wands. They are adamant. They will not agree to anything that increases your firepower. I have tried, they won't budge."

Keyworth had been negotiating with the hostage takers for over an hour now, making frequent return trips to confer with Harry and his team.

Keyworth continued summarising the agreement that had been built step by agonising step. "The prisoners will be wandless. They will be blindfolded with their hands tied in front of them. We will give you three prisoners at a time. When you see the three prisoners on the other side of the road you will release one child. Two aurors will escort the prisoners to within 15 meters of the school and then withdraw. You will guide them the rest of the way. When you have the prisoners you will release 3 more children. We will then remove the anti disapparition field for three minutes so you can get the prisoners away. We repeat the process until we both have what we want. Agreed?"

"Agreed," replied the young man in the Death Eaters mask. He was edgy now, but there was also a distinct note of triumph. He had won what he was after.

The bargaining had been hard. Initially, Keyworth had demanded 10 children for every 2 Death Eaters released but in the end had to accept 4 for 3. His opponent was a very skilled negotiator. He also had to concede to the hostage takers the right to determine which prisoners would be released first. Negotiations had almost broken down on that point. Now the deal had been done. And they would all have to live with it. Keyworth returned to his side of the road.

Rodolphus Lestrange looked condescendingly at the Aurors and other officials who stood around him, but he said nothing. He, Avery and, surprisingly, Blaise Zabini had been listed as the first three prisoners to be exchanged. Unlike Lestrange, Zabini was taunting those around him, many of whom were his ex-classmates.

"What's wrong, Longbottom? Tongue still swollen from that thrashing we gave you?"

"Shove it Zabini," replied Neville. "An idiot like you …we'll recapture you in no time. Why do you think we agreed to let you go? It's morons only in this batch."

The aurors displayed the three prisoners so that they could be seen from the schoolhouse then waited for the first child to be released. Tension was high. No one could be certain that the hostage takers would actually go through with the exchange. Eventually the door of the schoolhouse opened just enough for a boy, probably around 9, to be shoved through. He stumbled and nearly fell and was blinking in the bright sunlight.

Cho used the Sonorus charm and her sweetest, most reassuring voice to coax the frightened boy towards them. He got half way but then froze, frightened by the large number of strange people on the other side of the road. Cho took matters into her own hands. Moving slowly, she approached the young boy, stopping about ten feet from him. Crouching down she spoke quietly to him, slowly winning his trust. He allowed Cho to approach, and taking the boy by the hand she lead him across the road. She turned him over to Healer Keyworth who held him in a reassuring hug for some time. Keyworth then took the boy to the rear of the house and handed him over to the team of healers who had already assembled to treat the freed hostages and reunite them with their families.

Neville and several others now blindfolded the prisoners and then removed their leg restraints. The prisoners were organised in single file with the person behind resting one hand on the shoulder of the one in front. Neville led the strange looking procession across the road and towards the school.

Almost immediately they had crossed the road, Avery tripped and fell. It took some time to get him up. He almost brought Zabini down in the process. They resumed their slow march. When they were within 15 metres of the school they halted as agreed. Neville and his colleagues retreated to their side of the road.

Fabius poked his head out of the door and tried to guide the prisoners towards the school by voice. They had only made three yards when Avery fell again. When he got to his feet again they started moving in the wrong direction. A woman in a Death Eater mask emerged from the school and walked towards the prisoners. "Take off their effing blindfolds, Janelle," commanded Fabius who had come outside himself and was giving Janelle cover.

There was a bright flash high above the school and both Janelle and Fabius looked up involuntarily. Instantly, wands appeared in the hands of the three prisoners. Both Janelle and Fabius were stunned and down before their eyes could return to the ground. The three prisoners dashed towards the door of the school. Their hand bindings had dissolved into nothingness.

Almost simultaneously, a wall on the right side of the school disintegrated and then vanished, hit by _Evanesco_ spells from four wands. Six stunning spells flashed through the space once occupied by the wall and hit the three remaining hostage takers before they even registered that the wall was missing. Letting their disillusionment spells drop, ten attackers emerged from near invisibility and rushed the building, making sure the children and two teachers were safe. The whole assault had taken five seconds. Grollo, who had led the main assault, emerged from the building and gave the thumbs up to the onlookers.

Neville, Cho and Harry quickly joined the attackers. They were quickly engulfed in a general round of backslapping.

An army of healers and other helpers now swarmed over the building and began looking after the children and teachers.

The three 'prisoners' joined the rest of the victorious team.

"That was a fairly strong dose of Polyjuice we gave you. It may last some time," said Harry with a straight face. "Do you think Hermione will enjoy kissing Zabini?"

"Shut it Potter," replied Ron.

"I still don't know why I had to be the one to play Avery and fall over all the time." complained Terry Boot.

"You did display a talent for tripping on our first mission, Terry," winked Pavarti.

"You'll never guess who Fabius is," said Seamus approaching Harry.

"Theodore Nott," said Ron/Zabini.

Seamus looked deflated. "How did you know?"

"I guessed when he put Zabini at the top of the list. They were always pretty tight at school. His father is the only top ranking Death Eater still missing and Nott was always a cold, clever bastard, just like Fabius."

"Well 'Zabini', we better go interrogate Nott," said Harry "We need to find out about the remaining bombs. Having his 'friend' on the interrogation team might shake him up." They approached Keyworth.

"Stephen I need you to administer the veritaserum and observe the interview of the prisoner as a Healer. We need to do it now."

Keyworth nodded and accompanied Ron and Harry. Nott was being held in one of the classrooms. He smirked when Harry walked in. "Ah, look who's here, the boy wonder himself, St Potter." He then examined Ron/Zabini. "And who's this posing as a human being, probably the mudblood Granger. She was always following you around, Potter, like a bad smell."

Ron tensed, straining to control his anger.

"Ah no, I see it's the mudblood's blood-traitor lover…the deserter," Nott added contemptuously.

Ron burst out laughing. "You're a bit like a boggart, Nott. All I have to do is imagine you in that ridiculous Azkaban uniform you'll be wearing for the next twenty years and, poof, you disappear." Nott's smirk disappeared. It didn't help that Ron had given a perfect imitation of Zabini's voice and speech pattern.

"Let's do this," said Harry. They held Nott down as Keyworth administered the veritaserum. Five minutes later Harry sent a message to both Kingsley and Gristlewaite. There had never been more than two bombs. The bombs were a cold blooded and deadly diversion designed to cause panic and draw resources from the main game which was the hostage situation. Everyone involved in the plot was at the school and was now in custody, all except Nott Senior who was an old man. His son doesn't know where he is."

The crisis was over.

**·****·**

Ron was waving his fire whiskey in the air. "Deception, surprise, intelligence and …"

"And skill," chorused everyone else around the table

"Yeah…and skill," repeated Ron. He was a little drunk. Ron, Harry and his colleagues were in a private room in the Leaky Cauldron.

"There you are!" accused Hermione as she entered with Ginny. "We've been looking for you everywhere." Ginny looked just as irked as Hermione.

"Ah Hermione love, come and join us. I was just explaining the basic requirements for a successful hostage rescue operation," said Ron. He made room next to himself and summoned a chair. He had somehow failed to notice that Hermione and Ginny were angry. Harry hadn't.

"We sent you a message saying we were OK and it was all over," said Harry

Ginny responded indignantly. "You dash off in the middle of the night. People have been dying all over the country. They even reported an auror had died at one stage, and all we get is one lousy message. We only knew Ron was involved because we saw it on TV."

"Ooh," crooned Neville, "Harry and Ron are in trouble with their girlfriends."

Neville withered under twin deathly glares from Ginny and Hermione.

Ron finally twigged. "There was no time while it was happening to say anything to you. And this," Ron indicated the gathering round the table, "this is important too. It's how teams are built and how they start recovering from events like today."

"We will get better at doing this," said Harry softly to Ginny.

"Come on, join us." Ron repeated his invitation.

Hermione decided there was no point maintaining her anger and moved to sit next to Ron. Ginny followed suit and sat next to Harry.

"OK," said Hermione "I just have to hear your theory on hostage rescue, Ron. But first I have some catching up to do." She drained the remainder of Ron's fire whiskey which caused her to splutter and her cheeks to turn as red as Ron's hair.

Ron looked at Hermione with amusement and then launched into his lecture. "Requirement one, _deception_; Keyworth did a brilliant job. He negotiated hard on points that didn't matter to us, but gave then confidence we were genuine. For example, he fought tenaciously on the number of children and prisoners exchanged in each round. All we ever needed was one child released. We also allayed their natural suspicion that the prisoners would be polyjuiced aurors by insisting they be wandless, bound by the hands and blindfolded. That would be the last thing we would want if they really were aurors."

"There were other little deceptions," added Neville. "Ron was polyjuiced as Blaise Zabini. Ron and I put on a little play just in case they were somehow eavesdropping what we were saying when in the open. It turned out they were. Ron mimicked Zabini's voice and attitude almost perfectly." Hermione was staring hard at Ron. She had not known that Ron had been involved in the actual operation. She was sick to the stomach.

"The next requirement was _intelligence_," said Harry taking up the analysis. "We desperately needed to know the number of hostage takers, where they were positioned and where the children were being kept. That's why we needed that first child released before anything else. When Keyworth gave the released child a hug I am sure he gave him some real comfort, but Keyworth is also a gifted legilimens. He was able to quickly read the information we needed from the boy's mind. We could then choose the appropriate assault plan."

"Requirement 3; _surprise_," chipped in Cherry McGruder who had been polyjuiced as Rodolphus Lestrange. When it became clear that the deal with the hostage takers was holding and no more bombs were going off Gristlewaite reluctantly reassigned Cherry and her team to Harry's operation. With support from MLE it gave them the manpower they needed.

Cherry continued her description of the action from her viewpoint. "We took as long as we could moving towards the school. That was why Terry/Avery kept on 'tripping'. We had to allow enough time for the main assault team to move into place. They couldn't do that until we found out what was happening inside the school. We were also hoping that by fumbling around we could draw some bad guys out of the building to help us and that is exactly what happened. Our blindfolds were fakes. We could easily see through them and the 'cords' binding our hands were little more than tissue paper. The brilliant thing was the wand holsters. With them we could bring our concealed wands into our hands almost instantly. Fabius and the woman were down before they even knew we had wands. They're amazing!"

"Cool, aren't they," said Ginny, as her wand suddenly appeared in her outstretched hand. "No girl should go out without one."

"How did you get one?" asked Heloise in surprise. "I thought only the aurors had them."

"We brought them in Australia, where they were invented. It was Harry who sent samples to Kingsley Shacklebolt for evaluation by the aurors."

"What was the next element in your list, Ron," asked Hermione. "_Skill_ wasn't it. Well, you all have that. You demonstrated that today and I have also seen many of you in action before."

"You left one important element off your list, Ron," said Grollo, "_Leadership_. We were blessed today by an extraordinary display of leadership. I propose a toast to our leader. To Harry!"

"To Harry," reverberated around the room.

**·****·**

Harry and Ginny were walking towards the Burrow, arm in arm. Ron and Hermione were close behind.

"Are you going to be alright Harry?" Ginny asked. She was concerned that taking responsibility once again in a life and death situation might set back his recovery.

"I think so. I spoke to Keyworth beforehand. He said that in the end I just had to make the choice."

"Good thing you kept up those exercises, huh," said Ginny wryly.

He should have known he couldn't lie to Ginny, thought Harry.


	28. Vote of No Confidence

Chapter 28: Vote of No Confidence

Grantham was vexed. "I didn't think it would be like this," he complained to his wife, Vanessa.

"You always knew there had to be compromises, Oliver. It's the nature of politics."

"I know, I know…" Grantham glanced out his lounge room window and was heartened by the sight of his two youngest children playing in the twilight. His eldest was upstairs studying, getting a head start on the rapidly approaching school year.

"What irks you in particular," asked Vanessa.

"It's no one thing. It's a thousand little things. They were so supportive when they were clamouring for me to step forward. 'Of course we'll support your programs, Oliver. Of course we want to get rid of incompetence and cronyism, Oliver.' But then, step by little step they back away from it. The steps themselves look innocuous, even reasonable, but when you add them together…"

"When your Minister of Magic, you'll be in a much better position to push your programs through. That's what you need to consider."

"Yes, I guess…This awards committee thing really irks me too. The final vote is on tomorrow morning. I wasn't particularly in favour of giving such a high award to people so young, but I hate being threatened."

"Surely it would have been unprecedented giving first class Merlins to 18 year olds," replied Vanessa.

"Not quite," responded Grantham. "In 1612 Ogden the Odious was awarded a first class Merlin. He raised an army of merchantmen and arrived just in time to turn the tide in the _Battle of Hogsmeade Hill_. He had only turned 17 the day before. Apart from that, though, no one under 20 has even been awarded a second class Merlin."

Vanessa burst out laughing, "Oh Oliver, only you would know that!"

Vanessa became serious. "Oliver, tomorrow night you will be Minister of Magic. You will pursue your vision with all the considerable energy, intelligence and integrity you possess. The magical community will be well served. I will be by your side every step of the way, providing you with all the support I can." She raised her pumpkin juice. "To the next Minister of Magic!"

Oliver regarded his wife with deep affection. "And you will be Top Witch." He too raised his pumpkin juice. "To the most beguiling, beautiful and bewitching Top Witch ever to grace these lands!"

**·****·**

On the other side of London an impatient Percy Weasley was tapping his wand on the table top, sparks flying with each tap.

"This meeting of the executive committee of PLEJ will now come to order," he intoned. "First order of business, report from the leader of the party in the Wizengamot, Minister Shacklebolt."

Kingsley put down the quill he was using to annotate a thick report.

"Thank you Percy. At 3:30 pm this afternoon Hypon Gallant moved a formal motion of no confidence in my performance as Minister of Magic. Debate on the motion will start late tomorrow afternoon followed by a vote later in the evening. If the motion is successful, I will have lost my job and the speaker will call for nominations for a new Minister of Magic. Another debate and a vote will follow. It should be a long night."

Kingsley had spoken matter-of-factly. Now a slight edge of bitterness crept into his voice. "I will let our numbers man, Rufus, give you a detailed rundown of the state of the vote but it doesn't look wonderful."

"Thanks, Minister. Party Treasurer, you have the floor."

Bill Weasley smiled at his brother's formality, though he had to admit Percy kept the discussion focused and moving along. "Thank you, Mr Secretary," he said tongue in cheek, "Following Hermione's suggestion, I have been able to discover most of the details of the agreement reached between the Guilds and the Merchant faction. It's a good deal for the guilds and most merchants. The public is the main loser. However, some merchants are not happy at all, especially importers. We've been able to identify Wizengamot members with close ties to importers and we believe we can get their votes, including one member of the Guild Faction whose family has large commercial interests abroad."

Percy gave Rufus Lazarre the nod. "I'll go straight to the bottom line. The situation is not hopeless but is not good either. The economic agreement between the Guilds and the Merchant faction is both a strength and a weakness. It cements Grantham's three way alliance between the Guilds, the Merchants and his own Traditionalist faction. That's its strength. But there are always losers, that's its weakness. In every faction there are people whose supporters or whose families are badly affected and we will pick up most of their votes. Unfortunately, on my count that still leaves us four votes short."

"Do you see any way of getting those four votes," asked Arthur earning a sharp look from his son for speaking without being called.

"We already have most of the independents' vote," replied Lazarre, "and the three we don't have, we are not going to get. The Pragmatists represent the largest block of votes that isn't formally committed to one side of the other. Let's be frank, they don't like Kingsley or PLEJ much. They think were bad for business, dirty business, and their right. They don't much like Grantham either, think he is too straight. However, they believe his allies will be able to keep him on a short leash. I'm not sure they're right. Around the Wizengamot there are five votes that we might still get, but they are all going to be tough and we need all but one of them. I'm not giving up though."

The mood around the table was grim but determined. Discussion centred on just how to use the remaining time to go after each of those five votes.

After the discussion had taken its course Kingsley spoke again. "If we lose this vote it will be a serious setback, but it will not be the end. We will remain a powerful force in the Wizengamot and I suggest it is time we start putting forward more of our policies. Our platform calls for 10% of the places in the Wizengamot to be filled through direct election by the people. I propose win or lose, we place legislation in front of the Wizengamot to accomplish that. We should be looking forward, not to the past."

Most people around the table recognised that this was more an attempt to boost morale than anything else, but the proposal was warmly, if not enthusiastically supported. The meeting broke up and everyone went home, each to prepare for the coming battle in their own way.

**·****·**

The public gallery in the Wizengamot was packed. So was the press gallery. This was the best show in town, and no matter the outcome, there was bound to be fireworks.

The day had been frantic with the last minute lobbying. Even Harry, who abhorred any involvement with day to day politics, was wheeled out in an attempt to get those five much needed votes.

Hermione had been busy in another way. She was developing a reputation as a speechwriter and had worked first with Kingsley and then Neville on their speeches. Neville would be giving his maiden speech in the Wizengamot and, as he frankly admitted, he needed all the help he could get.

Harry, Ron and Hermione had good seats in the public gallery. Molly, Arthur and Percy were seated behind them. Ron was intrigued by the bustle in the place and was scanning the area with avid interest. His attention was arrested by the arrival in the public gallery of a very attractive witch accompanied by a young boy. She was warmly greeted and given a prominent position. Percy commented behind him, "That's Grantham's wife and I guess his son."

Ron watched her closely for some time. Hermione dug him in the ribs. "You don't have to ogle her, Ron!"

Ron turned to Hermione who was looking cross. He couldn't decide whether she was faking it, but decided to play along. "I don't know what you're talking about Hermione, she's old enough to be my mother," he said adopting an exaggerated air of wounded innocence.

"Only if she gave birth when she was 12. In any case, Ron, she isn't your mother." Hermione tried hard to hold her scowl, but in the end couldn't and broke down laughing.

"Bloody hell, Hermione, if I knew Grantham's wife looked like that, it might have been less of a problem. She's not bad looking…for an older woman that is," he quickly added.

"Keep your eyes to the front, Ron," said Hermione and Ron realised this time she meant it.

The chair called the Wizengamot to order and quiet fell around the chamber. The first speaker was Gemalla Wenglespon, leader of the Pragmatist faction and chief Mugwump of the Wizengamot. She still had enormous political clout, though Kingsley's administration and the rise of PLEJ had diminished it. She had been slow to recognise the changes that were occurring and was stunned when PLEJ outmanoeuvred her in the election of a High Warranter. She now hated Kingsley with a passion.

Her speech was powerful, clever, vindictive and damaging. She managed to paint Kingsley as responsible for everything bad that had happened in the last four months and much that had happened before that as well. In particular, she managed to pin all the shortcomings of the aurors on him to devastating effect.

"When will we get a leader who does not cower behind children? When will we get a leader who does not cravenly rely on children to rescue him from his own incompetence?" She fixed her gaze on Kingsley and raised an accusing finger. "When Death Eaters attacked the mourners at brave Fred Weasley's funeral, where were your aurors, Minister Shacklebolt? Did they lead the defence? Oh no, some of them actually led the attack! Did your aurors at least help the defence? Oh no, they fell for a simpleton's ruse and rushed elsewhere. It was the children who saved the day. It was the children who once again saved your bacon, Minister."

Wenglespon pressed home the attack. "For the last two months you have been reassuring us all that the Death Eaters were a spent force, that their day was done. Then, just two days ago, Death Eaters launched a devastating attack on this nation. Many people were killed. We so nearly saw the slaughter of a school full of innocent little ones. And why? Because the men you placed in charge of the aurors were incompetent. But you're a lucky man, minister. Once again the children saved you. They tossed aside the bumbling fools you put in place and took matters in their own hands. Bah, it is not good enough; it is not even close to being good enough. Go, I beg you, go!" Wenglespon resumed her seat to thunderous applause.

The rules that govern the order of speakers in a Wizengamot debate are an arcane mystery understood by a select few. The result this day was that one of the most experienced and effective speakers was followed by the least experienced.

Neville had been nervous earlier, and had spent an hour pacing up and down in his miniscule office going over Hermione's speech. All that was now forgotten. Wenglespon's speech had incensed him. He stood tall, his prepared speech deep in his pocket where it would remain.

Neville was shaking when he started, his voice quivering. "I have not long been a member of this assembly. I am not sure I could stomach being here much longer if I have to hear more speeches like the one just inflicted on us. Perhaps most of you have stronger stomachs than me. I am not used to such heavy doses of hypocrisy. I am not used to such clever lies either." Neville felt the weight of so many eyes on him, of so many important people fixing their attention on him. He remembered, though, how enthusiastically they had greeted Wenglespon's speech and his eyes panned accusingly across the assembly as he addressed them. "I am also not used to such hypocrisy and dishonesty being met by enthusiastic approval rather than the disgust it deserves. Do you not know you have been insulted? Do you not know you have been treated with contempt? They know." Neville pointed to the public gallery. "Why don't you know? You should ask yourself that question."

Members of the Wizengamot were beginning to stir. They had been indulgently amused when Neville had started, now many were getting annoyed. Only the time honoured tradition that a maiden speech was listened to in silence prevented some of them from jeering him. Neville didn't care. He was just getting into his stride. He now fixed his full attention on Gemalla Wenglespon and spoke directly to her.

"How dare you make that speech! I nearly gagged when you spoke of 'brave Fred Weasley', enlisted his memory to your rotten cause… Did you know him? I did. I fought with him in the resistance against Lord Voldemort. I supplied him with information for his clandestine broadcasts…I ask where were _you_, Chief Mugwump, when he and his brave brother George were risking their lives to tell the truth to the world? Perhaps you were feeding the _Daily Prophet _with the lies they so frequently published. They certainly quoted you enough."

"Kingsley Shacklebolt knew brave Fred Weasley. He fought with him in the resistance. He participated in Weasley's life saving broadcasts. Where were _you_ when Kingsley Shacklebolt was risking his life to tell the truth to the world? Were you, as Chief Mugwump, making some sleazy deal with Voldemort's minions? This place certainly kept humming along nicely during Voldemort's reign."

"Where were you the night brave Fred Weasley died? I know where Kingsley Shacklebolt was. He was fighting by his side." Gemalla Wenglespon had a thick hide, but Neville's words penetrated and stung. She had daggers in her eyes as she tried to stare down Neville. He was relentless.

"I nearly gagged when you blamed Shacklebolt for the broken state of the aurors. Auror Shacklebolt had to flee for his life when Voldemort came to power for he would make no accommodation with monstrous evil. What accommodation did you make so you could continue your safe, comfortable life?"

"The aurors did fail at Fred's funeral. They were broken, broken by Lord Voldemort. And yes, we children, as you so contemptuously call us, did save the day, along with many others who had not forgotten how to fight. What was Minister Shacklebolt's response? He cut through a lot of opposition to repair the aurors and he used imaginative and unconventional means to get the people he needed in place."

"This week at Godric's Hollow it was the auror force created by Kingsley Shacklebolt that saved the day. I was there, I took part, a proud member of Shacklebolt's aurors."

"I nearly gagged when you stated that we, the children, rescued Kingsley Shacklebolt. The truth is that we, the fighters of the resistance, we including minister Shacklebolt, we rescued you. He deserves your respect and gratitude even if he cannot have your vote."

Neville sat down. He was still angry but he had said what he had to say. He was stunned when the Wizengamot rose as one, with some few abstainers, and gave him a standing ovation. What's wrong with these people, he thought. How could they applaud her one minute and him the next? Didn't they care about the content of a speech? Was style all they cared about?

Speaker followed speaker as afternoon slowly turned to evening. The PLEJ group watching from the public gallery were given frequent updates from Rufus Lazarre. Amazingly, Neville's speech had moved two votes into PLEJ's column, but they were still two, maybe three votes short. Only two more speakers were scheduled to talk, Grantham and Shacklebolt.

"It all comes down to this," concluded Lazarre. "If Grantham stumbles badly or Kingsley is beyond brilliant we might just win, but it isn't looking good."

A hush of expectation fell over the assembly as Grantham rose to speak. This was the main event. The contenders were in the ring.

"Let me say at the outset," opened Grantham, "that there is much I admire about Kingsley Shacklebolt. Speaker after speaker tonight have alluded to his fine record of public service and of his fierce, courageous resistance to Voldemort's rule. I dispute none of this. I will go further. Much that he has done since coming to power has been both good and necessary. I applaud his determination to rid this place and the ministry of those who helped Voldemort commit foul deeds and implement immoral policies. I applaud his determination to restore ability rather than patronage as the prime consideration in ministry appointment. I applaud this and much more. When I started the chain of events that has culminated in tonight, it was not with the intention of abandoning these policies. On the contrary, I will not lead a government that is not committed to pursuing them with zeal. My differences with Minister Shacklebolt, and the party to which he now belongs, lie elsewhere as I will now explain."

Hermione slumped in her chair. Grantham was not stumbling. His opening was inspired; his lavish praise of Kingsley sealing Kingsley's fate. She was interested to hear this next bit, though. What really drove Grantham?

Grantham adjusted his plum coloured hat and then continued. "So many of us see our world as strong, robust and indestructible. I cannot share those sentiments. To me, our magical world is a delicate flower, fragile and imperilled. We live surrounded by an ocean of muggles who outnumber us a 1000 to one. Each year their technology grows stronger. The gap between their power and ours grows smaller. Each year their surveillance and recording of events becomes more pervasive; cameras, satellites, CCTV, the list goes on. It gets harder and harder to hide our presence. Their rapid communications technology means any story travels very wide, very fast and is almost impossible to eradicate. Do any of you doubt that widespread knowledge of our existence amongst the muggles would be an unmitigated disaster?"

"It is not just the muggles that pose a threat. The peace we have largely enjoyed in modern times between the magical races is a precarious thing based on a balance of power that can easily be destabilised. Who would want a return to an endemic state of warfare between Goblins and Wizards that once characterised the magical world? Who would want the powerful magic of elves to go unchecked? And yet both these things could easily be the outcome of even a well-meaning but misguided attempt at reform.

It is for these reasons in particular that I oppose Kingsley Shacklebolt and PLEJ, the party he has now openly joined. These are the times that demand leadership by our most able and clear sighted people, free to act in the best interest of society as a whole. But what would PLEJ have us do? They would have us adopt muggle style democracy! I have studied muggle democracies in depth and I can assure you that what they most often throw up are mediocre leaders with little vision who are focused solely on winning the votes of the dumbest members of society. It is a luxury we cannot afford."

Grantham spent some time in a brilliant forensic deconstruction of PLEJ's policies and explaining the dangers he saw in pursuing them. Hermione was shaken. She knew instinctively that Grantham was wrong, but that was hardly sufficient. In time his arguments would require well thought out and forceful rebuttal and she realised she would need to play a major role in that. But that was not today's task. That was to save Kingsley's job and Hermione's hopes sunk lower and lower with each point that Grantham drove home.

Despairingly Hermione focused on Grantham's speech. He was changing gear, she sensed, preparing for the final thrust of the knife. She listened intently as Grantham continued.

"I have outlined tonight those things I admire about Kingsley Shacklebolt and his administration and those that I am compelled to fiercely oppose. Not quite two months ago I started the process of forming a coalition with the intention of installing a government that would continue those reforms that were necessary but set aside the more dangerous policies. I saw no point then, and I see no point now in installing a new government that is merely different from the old. It has to be better."

"When I started this process there was no thought in my mind that I would be the one to lead this new government. It never occurred to me. My colleagues insisted, though, and so, in the end, I accepted. I sought and received firm assurances of support in maintaining Minister Shacklebolt's essential and urgent program to combat corruption, cronyism and incompetence in this assembly and in the ministry. I resolved to come before you and ask for the privilege of forming a new government. And so here I stand." Loud cheers and applause filled the assembly. Colleagues rose to congratulate him, but he signalled them back to their seats. He had not finished.

Grantham had become pale, he was shaking just a little and conflict ravaged his face. He looked as if he was preparing to drop one final bombshell on Kingsley, drive one further nail into his coffin, but was afraid to do it. Utter silence fell over the chamber. The tension built inexorably as all eyes were transfixed by the silent drama unfolding before them."

Then Grantham visibly relaxed, his decision made and he once more begun to speak. "And so here I stand," he repeated himself, "here I stand, a conflicted man… Politics and compromise go hand in hand, it is not a game for the pure and so it was when the first few signs appeared that my colleagues were backsliding on their commitment to reform I happily brushed them aside. The indications grew, but by then I had a taste of the prize and my ambition came into play. I ignored them. I began to convince myself that once I was Minister of Magic I could find the support I needed. Thus vanity and ambition had left me blind. It was a blind man that came into this chamber tonight to seek appointment to our highest office. That has changed. Two things were said in tonight's debate that I cannot ignore." Confusion in the chamber slowly gave way to stunned disbelief as the import of Grantham's words became clear. Angry murmurs started and rose in volume. Mercuto Blake and Adam Mallot from the Merchant faction looked thunderous. Hypon Gallant looked sick to the stomach. Grantham ignored the rumblings and continued.

"Most of you will know that several weeks ago the personal private secretary of the Minister of Magic was kidnapped and interrogated using dark magic and veritaserum. Two things were said in tonight's debate that made it crystal to me that the people behind this despicable crime were senior colleagues who would have formed an important part of my government. I can no longer hide from the truth. The scales of ambition have fallen from my eyes. I could so easily have reached for the prize. I have chosen not to do so."

"Minister Shacklebolt, at this point in time I am not in a position to form a new government worthy of the honour. I do not believe anyone else can. I will therefore support you in tonight's vote and urge others to do the same. I will continue to oppose you with vigour when I believe you are wrong, but tonight you have my vote." Grantham sat down in his place and lowered his head. He could not bear to look at anyone. He was feeling sick. He thought it likely that he had just delivered his own eulogy and that his career in politics was now over. Who would ever trust him again? But he had done what he had to do.

There was no cheering or jeering when Grantham had finished. Everyone was too busy trying to come to terms with what had happened. Hypon Gallant and Paula Pestle stood and quietly left the chamber. Two hours later, they were arrested.

The Chair of the assembly suddenly remembered it was her job to keep things moving and she called on Kingsley to speak. He rose in place but then Rufus Lazarre jumped up and spoke in his ear. Kingsley nodded. "I decline the right to speak. I ask the vote now be taken." When the result of the vote was announced Kingsley had won 39 votes to 31.

**·****·**

It was Saturday morning and the Weasley family were sitting around the breakfast table. They still couldn't quite believe the events of the previous evening. They discussed it back and forth and dissected in detail the reports in the newspapers arrayed on the table.

Most papers praised Grantham's stance, though political commentators were unanimous that his career was over. The arrest of Hypon Gallant and Paula Pestle along with several others over the kidnapping of Melanie Watts was also big news. Gallant was one of the most respected Healers of the age. He sat on the board of St Mungo's and was a very influential man.

Ron was having trouble coming to terms with Oliver Grantham. He still didn't like the man but he was forced to reassess his beliefs about Grantham's character. Hermione still hadn't decided about the board position but Ron knew that he would support her however she decided.

Ron's thoughts were interrupted by a comment made by Percy.

"The _Wizengamot Honours and Awards_ _committee_ finalised its deliberations yesterday morning. Notifications to award winners should be sent out today." Percy smiled at Ron, Harry and Hermione. "I wouldn't be surprised if certain people around this table were to win an award, perhaps even as high as an Order of Merlin, third class."

"Wow," said Ron.

"We don't need awards," said Harry.

"Well, you deserve them," replied Arthur. "Actually, I think there is an outside possibility you might even get second class Merlins." Percy looked sceptical. Ginny scowled.

"I think they deserve First class Merlins!" she said indignantly.

"Maybe," laughed Bill, "but they only give those to old geezers after a lifetime of outstanding service, people like Dumbledore."

"And Hypon Gallant," commented George, causing the whole table to laugh. Gallant was indeed a recipient of the Order of Merlin First Class.

An hour later a single owl flew into the Burrow and dumped a thick envelope in front of Harry. Before he had the chance to open it two more owls flew in and dropped identical envelopes in front of Ron and Hermione. The air was soon thick with owls and by the time they had left everyone had an envelope in front of them. Each bore the seal of the _Wizengamot Honours and Awards_ _committee._

"Maybe we've been sent invitations to the award ceremony," said Percy, breaking the silence. He knew that was ridiculous the moment he said it but he couldn't bring himself to believe the obvious alternate explanation.

"Well, there's only one way to find out," said Ginny as she ripped open her envelope. Ginny drew in a sharp breath and then paled as she read the contents:

_Wizengamot Honours and Awards_ _committee_

Is pleased to announce the award of the

_**Order of Merlin, Second Class**_

To

**Ginevra Molly Weasley**

For outstanding leadership of the resistance organisation known as Dumbledore's Army during the past year and for the protection of the student body of Hogwarts undertaken at great risk and heavy personal cost.

You are further made a

Member of the Order of St George

For heroic participation in numerous battles against the forces of Lord Voldemort.

"Well," said George when Ginny had remained speechless for some time, "What does it say?" None of the others had had the courage to open their envelopes yet. She read it out to the room in a shaky voice.

It was Percy who was the first to find voice, "Ginny I would be lying if I said I wasn't dumbfounded, but Ginny, that doesn't mean you don't deserve every single bit of that award. Congratulations!" His words broke the bonds holding them in place. Everyone one moved to hug Ginny and congratulate her.

"What's the Order of St George," she asked.

"It's for outstanding valour in combat. You've been admitted to the order as a member. There's a higher award, Knight of the order of St George," explained Arthur.

One by one they opened their envelopes until only Ron, Hermione and Harry's letters remained unopened. With a sense of disbelief that refused to go away even as each letter was read, they learnt that everyone except Percy had received an Order of Merlin, Third Class. Everyone, including Percy, had been admitted to the Order of St George, Molly as a Knight for "engaging in single handed combat and defeating the dangerous and powerful witch, Bellatrix Lestrange."

"Way to go Mum," echoed around the table.

George had received two letters in his envelope. Fred had been posthumously given the same awards as his twin. George kissed Fred's letter and said quietly, "Congratulations." He then looked towards the ceiling and spoke to his brother. "You know, Fred, if we keep this up, we might just end up being respectable. We're going to have to do something about that!" even Molly smiled.

All eyes now turned to the trio. "Come on Hermione, you go first," said Ron.

Hermione eyed the envelope nervously, unable to bring herself to open it.

"Come on Hermione," urged Ron. "It's probably just an Order of Merlin. It not like it's something important like exam results or something."

Hermione smiled. "You open yours then."

"Witches first," he replied.

Hermione picked up the envelope gingerly and opened it with shaky hands. She and Ron read it together.

_Wizengamot Honours and Awards_ _committee_

Is pleased to announce the award of the

_**Order of Merlin, First Class**_

To

**Hermione Jean Granger**

In recognition of her central contribution to the protection of the magical and muggle communities against Lord Voldemort and his supporters over a period of seven years. In further recognition of her indispensable role in the destruction of Lord Voldemort and the final defeat of his forces. In performing these tasks the awardee has frequently been exposed to extreme physical danger and has suffered significant hardship. She has repeatedly displayed courage, determination, endurance, intelligence, resourcefulness and selflessness of the highest order.

You are further made a

Member of the Order of St George

For heroic participation in numerous battles against the forces of Lord Voldemort.

"Wow," was all Ron could say, but this was more than Hermione could manage. She had broken down in tears.

"Open yours, Ron," urged Ginny. Ron's citation was virtually identical to Hermione's as were his awards.

Harry, in addition to an Order of Merlin, First Class was made a Knight of the order of St George for "an heroic act of self-sacrifice and the destruction of Lord Voldemort in single handed combat."

"Where's Charlie when you need him," said Arthur. "Someone conjure up some fire whiskey!"

An impromptu celebration was quickly underway. Somehow word soon got around and friends soon started dropping around. In the early afternoon Neville showed up with Luna, followed not long after by Kingsley.

Neville, like Ginny, had been awarded a second class Merlin for his leadership of the DA. He had however also been made a Knight for his defiance of Voldemort and the destruction of Nagini.

Luna had only won a third class Merlin for her leadership of the DA. "That's not fair," said Ginny.

"Yes it is Ginny," replied Luna. "I was only there for one term. Besides the order of Merlin has some connection to the Rotfang conspiracy. I'm not sure if I'll accept my award. I'll have to talk to Daddy." Ginny and Neville just shook their heads.

It soon became apparent that everyone who had fought in the first desperate half of the Battle of Hogwarts had been admitted to the order of St George. Molly, Harry and Neville had been admitted as Knights.

Every member of the Order of the Phoenix had been awarded at least third class Merlins as had a dozen members of the DA including Terry Boot and Anthony Goldstein.

The crowd at the Burrow continued to swell as the afternoon progressed. It turned into a celebration of not just the awards but also of Kingsley's victory. The Burrow was overflowing with people and with the food and drink brought along with them.

Toast followed toast as did the impromptu speeches, most of them jocular, a few quite ribald. Molly Weasley, Order of Merlin, third class, Knight of the order of St George blushed and tried not to giggle. Seamus gave a hilarious version of Neville's speech to the Wizengamot addressing it to an imaginary Dolores Umbridge, rather than Wenglespon.

Eventually, Kingsley was prevailed upon to speak. He thanked everyone for their support. He then spoke openly and emotionally about how difficult he had found the last two weeks and how he had found the courage to continue from remembering the courage and sacrifice of all those people who had been awarded today. He took a piece of paper from his pocket.

"This was written for me by a very special person," he began, "The youngest witch ever to win a first class Merlin, the youngest Muggle-born ever so awarded." He held the paper in the air. "This is the speech I was to give last night. In the end it wasn't needed, but it is too good never to see the light of day. I would like to quote just one small part of it:"

'_Today we enjoy the blessings of peace. Today we need not fear that someone we love will fall in battle. But this is the peace brought about by war. This is the peace that is merely the absence of war. Such peace cannot last. It must be supplanted by the peace that comes from an unquenchable thirst for justice and an unwavering commitment to work with each other to build a better future for all. Tonight you must decide whether you will support me in an effort to build such a lasting peace or to cast it aside in the pursuit of narrow self-interest. The choice is yours.'_

"Last night the Wizengamot, perhaps by default, voted to build the peace, the peace that so many of you here fought so hard to secure and, I am sure, will work hard to protect and develop. So let us all raise our glasses and toast ourselves and, above all, Peace!"

"Peace!" affirmed fifty voices that boomed forth from the burrow and resounded across the land.

○○○○○**·**

Grantham and his wife had hardly had an opportunity to talk to each other in private since the dramatic events of the previous evening. Oliver had been tired and depressed and had gone to bed as early as he could. He had spent much of the present day being interviewed by Magical Law Enforcement, a frustrating and repetitive experience. He and Vanessa were now seated side by side on the sofa in Oliver's study. Vanessa was resting her head on Oliver's shoulder

"Disappointed love?" Oliver asked his wife

"A little," replied Vanessa, "mainly in myself. In you, Oliver, I couldn't be prouder."

Oliver lifted his eyebrows in surprise and turned toward her. "Why disappointed in yourself?"

"You weren't the only one who had a 'taste of the prize' as you put it. I began to have visions of myself swanning around as Top Witch. Instead of helping you see things clearly I encouraged you to ignore the clear warnings in front of you. I have always regarded myself as an idealist but I have discovered a vain streak and I don't like it."

Grantham smiled, "Well if you want to prance about as Top Witch now, you'll have to find yourself a new husband."

"Never! Besides I wouldn't be so sure your career is over."

"Hah, you haven't seen the owls I've been getting from my erstwhile colleagues."

"Actually, I have," replied Vanessa. "They haven't all been negative. Tell me, how did you know that Gallant and Pestle had been involved in my sister's kidnapping?"

"There's a short dumpy witch, Esalda on the awards committee. She's a member of the guild faction and is very close to Paula Pestle. She knew, before it was published, that Ron Weasley had abandoned his friends during their mission. So did Paula and Hypon. That information could only have come from Melanie's kidnappers. All the same, information is the currency of politics and is widely traded. Hypon and the others could have acquired the information innocently.

At yesterday's committee, I had decided not to support first class Merlins for the young trio. Esalda didn't know that, though, and she went in for overkill. She babbled on about how the trio had been involved in a cover up of some criminal activity by Xenophilius Lovegood. Frankly, I had no idea what she was talking about and I ignored her. Then she made a big mistake. Esalda looked me in the eye and said 'You're a pureblood, Oliver. Surely you can't support our highest award going to a teenage mudblood bitch.' She knew she had a mistake, but it was too late. I was incensed. I would have supported the awards out of anger, but I also saw clearly just how important it was that the achievements of the muggle born receive due recognition."

"Hypon had threatened to pull support for you if you voted for those awards. Why didn't he?" asked Vanessa.

"He must have realised it was too late to change candidates, or else he was bluffing in the first place. In the end he said nothing."

"So what happened in the debate that made things clear," pressed Vanessa.

"Both Pestle and Hypon referred to the Lovegood matter during their speeches, but Hypon said something in particular."

Sudden understanding hit Vanessa. " _'_Lovegood turned on the trio_ like a Manticore swatting his pups'_," she quoted, turning pale.

"Exactly, it's a very unusual turn of phrase. The only other person I have ever heard use it is your sister Melanie and she uses it frequently. If Hypon was using her language then he must have been very close to the source of the information, probably present at the interrogation."

"I am very glad you did what you did, Oliver" said Vanessa snuggling closer to her husband and giving him a kiss.

"So am I, so am I."

**·****·**

It was evening, a week later. Ginny and Harry together with Ron and Hermione were sitting beside the pond at the Burrow. In the morning the girls would be returning to Hogwarts and there was sadness in the air.

The last four months, despite the sorrow, the challenges and the difficulties, had been for each of them the happiest four months of their lives. The horror of the past would always be with them to some degree but they had at least begun to come to terms with it. They had found love, or more precisely they had acknowledged, then openly accepted and finally cherished the love that had always been there.

Love, too, for each of them had found its full physical expression. Ron had quickly twigged that Harry and Ginny were now sleeping together, mainly because he realised Hermione was trying to hide it from him. He found, to his surprise, that he was happy for them.

Thanks to the arrangements Hermione had made with Minerva McGonagall she would be free to leave Hogwarts at will and Harry and Ron would be able to visit, all within reason of course. It wasn't going to be the same though.

Few words were spoken as they sat by the pond. Just being with each other seemed enough, was special all by itself.

It was Ron who broke the silence. "Hermione love, when I start with aurors and have to study again, can I send you my homework?"

**The End.**


	29. Epilogue

Epilogue

Extract from _A History of Magic in the Modern Era_, Rose Weasley 2nd edition, 2082.

○○○**·**

The failed 1998 attempt to dismiss Kingsley Shacklebolt is rightly regarded as one of the pivotal moments in the political history of British wizarding society. It marked the beginning of the end of the long standing factional organisation of the Wizengamot and set the stage for the political battles that dominated the first half of the 21st century. Very few at the time, though, had any idea of the significance of the event.

Oliver Grantham's famous speech is, these days, mainly remembered for its dramatic conclusion, and rightly so. Far from marking the end of his career as so many, including Grantham, thought at the time, it was the foundation of much that he would achieve in the long years to come. It established his unshakeable reputation for integrity and honesty, a reputation, it might be observed, he did not always entirely merit.

Grantham's speech was important in one other aspect. His outline of his own philosophy and his brilliant critique of PLEJ's policies framed the political debate for a generation. It was the opening shot in a remarkable contest of ideas between the two major political and social thinkers of the age, Grantham himself and Hermione Weasley. There is no doubt that Weasleys two seminal essays, _On Democracy and the Magical World_ and _the Rights of Magical Creatures_, both published in 1999, were a direct response to Grantham's speech.

It is ironic that Weasley herself wrote two speeches for the Shacklebolt debate, neither of which was used. One was for her friend and classmate Neville Longbottom. But for his extraordinary demolition of Gemalla Wenglespon few would even remember the short Wizengamot career of Hogwarts' beloved Headmaster.

I have had the privilege of being able to interview most of the principal players in the affair and I have watched it in the pensieve, but the Shacklebolt debate is one of those events that, as a professional historian, I would love to have witnessed directly. The world was about to change and no one there really knew it. Four of the six people who would hold the position of Minister of Magic over the next fifty years were there, all heavily involved; Shacklebolt of course, Grantham, Percy Weasley and Hermione Weasley.

One can never forget the enormous contribution made by the fighters of the resistance who opposed and eventually destroyed Tom Riddle and his foul regime. It is rightly celebrated. One should never forget, though, the enormous struggle that took place in the succeeding years to reform society and secure the peace so hard won. That, too, should rightly be celebrated.

**·****·**


End file.
